Trees and their Roles in Permaculture Designs

Trees are of course very important elements in many permaculture designs. The specific roles that they can play, however, can be many and varied, and trees must always be used in the right places, and within the right type of design, to achieve the right results. Tree planting is almost invariably talked about as aContinue reading “Trees and their Roles in Permaculture Designs”

How a Permaculture Garden Design Can Allow a Garden To Get Better Over Time

Permaculture designs help us to make the most of a current site and/or situation. But, of course, permaculture does not just concern itself with the here and now. Permaculture also looks forward. In the context of garden design, permaculture can allow us to design for the present and the future, for a garden that isContinue reading “How a Permaculture Garden Design Can Allow a Garden To Get Better Over Time”

Colorado Permaculture Design: Mountain Garden Design

Perched high in the mountains, this Colorado homestead in the case study concept plan above has some truly stunning views. But the owners were unsure where to start when developing plans for their steeply sloping site. They wanted to make sure that they could use the land for recreation and for food production, while alsoContinue reading “Colorado Permaculture Design: Mountain Garden Design”

Using Native Wildflowers in Permaculture Design

Using native wildflowers in permaculture design is common, of course, but how exactly might native flowering plants be incorporated into your plans? Permaculture design can often involve thinking about wild plants would naturally grow in a particular area, and then incorporating those plants in schemes that serve us, as humans, as well as the naturalContinue reading “Using Native Wildflowers in Permaculture Design”

Regenerative Gardening and Regenerative Agriculture

In order to move towards a positive future for all, we need to embrace a regenerative rather than an extractive mindset. Working with cyclical systems, working with nature, we need to remember the importance of giving back, keeping those cycles turning rather than simply taking all that we can get. Regenerative gardening and farming goContinue reading “Regenerative Gardening and Regenerative Agriculture”

Coastal Foraging Garden Design: Balancing Aesthetics and Edible Yields

Coastal gardens can often be challenging, with strong, salt-laden winds and perhaps very light and sandy soils. This fairly small coastal garden in Eastern Scotland is currently an under-used space, an area of grass south of a coastal cottage, with a coastal path running along low, craggy cliffs on its southern side. The Typical ChallengesContinue reading “Coastal Foraging Garden Design: Balancing Aesthetics and Edible Yields”

Forest Garden Design Tips: Developing Sustainable Food-Producing Systems

As anyone who has looked at any of my case studies will already know, forest gardens, food forests or agroforestry schemes often play important roles in my designs. Forest gardening also lies at the heart of my own gardening at home. I have a walled orchard which I have gradually worked to evolve into aContinue reading “Forest Garden Design Tips: Developing Sustainable Food-Producing Systems”

Permaculture Design for a Wildlife-Friendly Scottish Garden

You do not have to have a massive garden to make a big difference for local wildlife. This is my design for a garden in West Lothian, in Scotland’s ‘Central Belt’. The client approached me because they wanted to turn the lawned, boggy area next to their new-build home into a wildlife haven for theirContinue reading “Permaculture Design for a Wildlife-Friendly Scottish Garden”

Sustainable Landscape Design – Sources of Inspiration

I have recently been thinking about my different sources of inspiration for the permaculture designs I create, so today I thought I would share some of the things that help me to come up with my ideas, in hopes that some of these things may also inspire you to dream and plan when it comesContinue reading “Sustainable Landscape Design – Sources of Inspiration”

Overcoming Barriers to City Rewilding and Re-greening Initiatives

Rewilding cities and other human-centric spaces is increasingly important, as more and more people spend their lives in massive metropolises with little access to truly natural and ‘wild’ environments, and as we encroach ever more on the wildlife around us. Rewilding Cities: Identifying Sites for Permaculture Design Identifying land suitable for rewilding in cities andContinue reading “Overcoming Barriers to City Rewilding and Re-greening Initiatives”