Some who are new to the concept of permaculture find the whole thing overwhelming. Looking around online, having heard about permaculture for the first time, it is easy to get information overload. Cutting through the buzz words and jargon and getting to the heart of things can be important. There is of course plenty toContinue reading “Getting Starting With Permaculture: Where to Begin”
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Permaculture Garden Design: Strategies for Reluctant Gardeners
When I speak to people about what I do as a garden designer, or show people my own garden, I often get one of two different reactions. People who are already keen gardeners tend to lean in, ask questions, and try to learn more, if they come across an idea with which they are notContinue reading “Permaculture Garden Design: Strategies for Reluctant Gardeners”
Commercial Agroforestry – Vietnam Permaculture Design
This is the initial part of a design for a commercial farm in Vietnam, where the owner wishes to implement agroforestry and permaculture principles to improve carbon sequestration and sustainability on site, and boost biodiversity, while also earning an income as a viable business. Slow, Steady Solutions for Sustainable Transition A work in progress, thisContinue reading “Commercial Agroforestry – Vietnam Permaculture Design”
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”
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”