Case Study: Sustainable Community of Kin Domains, Jamaica

The image above is part of a permaculture plan for a retreat of around 20 acres, and a further 30 acres divided into 15 two acre kin domains or family homesteads. A sustainable project in Hanover county in Jamaica. Designed to protect, restore and nourish people and planet on this 58 acre site. The siteContinue reading “Case Study: Sustainable Community of Kin Domains, Jamaica”

Practical Tips for Crop Rotation

New gardeners often sow for summer without thinking about what comes next. But in gardening, we should always be looking ahead. Planning can be important, though of course we should be flexible and adapt to change, and not stick too rigorously to the plans we make. This combination of planning and flexibility can be challengingContinue reading “Practical Tips for Crop Rotation”

Saving Time for Sustainability

Permaculture zoning is all about analysing our patterns of human movement, and how we use our time. When we carry out an analysis of the inputs, outputs and characteristics or each element in a garden (or in another system), we can work out where to place them to make most efficient use of our time.Continue reading “Saving Time for Sustainability”

Case Study: Small Garden With Raised Beds

The image and simple planting plan above is part of an example permaculture scheme for a small domestic garden in England. The client requested that a lawn area be kept, so that it can be used for placing a trampoline for kids to use. But wanted to improve the garden and grow as some typicalContinue reading “Case Study: Small Garden With Raised Beds”

Case Study: Kenya Restaurant Roof Area

This case study is an example of a system created for a restauranteur. As usual, I won’t provide all the information given to the client, but the above illustrates the general scheme for the design. In this instance, I was approached by a restaurant owner in Mombasa Kenya who was interested in turning a disusedContinue reading “Case Study: Kenya Restaurant Roof Area”

Utility and Beauty in a Permaculture Home

“If you want a golden rule that will fit everything, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” William Morris. In my mind, everything in your home should be useful or beautiful – ideally both. In permaculture, we think carefully about every elementContinue reading “Utility and Beauty in a Permaculture Home”

Trained Trees Permaculture Design

Often in my designs, I will use standard form trees and create forest gardens by combining groups of these with their attendant guild planting. I tend to favour more naturalistic, organic style in most of my designs. But we can also sometimes manipulate nature to a greater degree while still working with nature to meetContinue reading “Trained Trees Permaculture Design”

How Trees Are Used in Garden Design

Following on from yesterday’s brief piece on how trees are useful to us, I thought I would take a little time to explore some of the ways that trees can actually be used in garden design. Trees can be used in almost any garden, no matter how large or small. Even in a tiny garden,Continue reading “How Trees Are Used in Garden Design”

Permaculture Zoning Outside and in the Home

Permaculture designs often focus on time, and how frequently the humans of the system will visit the various elements and areas of it. Zone one is used designated to the most frequently visited places. Somewhat less frequently visited areas are zone two. After which there may be further zones, radiating out the wild zones outwithContinue reading “Permaculture Zoning Outside and in the Home”

Applications for Permaculture: Sectors and Flow

In permaculture, when we talk about sectors what we are essentially considering is how energy will enter and move through the space. We should consider the sun, the wind, water, and also human energy, and the paths we take as we move around. How sun, wind and water etc. behave on the site will setContinue reading “Applications for Permaculture: Sectors and Flow”