Key Strategies of Permaculture
This is not necessarily an all-inclusive list, but is meant to provide a "taste" of what is involved in permaculture and how it works. As time goes on, I hope to build on these lists and eventually have available a more comprehensive sampling of reference material...
Water water water!
One of the first components we consider when permaculturing a landscape is how we are going to capture, conserve and utilize the water flowing onto a particular landscape.
Water Catchment - as most properties do not have their own creeks or rivers running through them, water catchment from rain is examine. This occurs wherever there is a hard and impermeable surface for the rain to flow across. We examine the slope and thus channel the water according to our needs.
Water Storage - Can be done with the use of swales, dams, or other storage devices such as rain barrels. The higher the water is stored the more energy and therefore the more uses can be made of the water. Swales are trenches in the landscape which are constructed along the level contours in order to create an even distribution of water. Swales are also mulched to prevent evaporation and after a good rain will continue to provide water to plants for weeks.
Sectors
A sector is simply an energy which flows through a site. Wind would be one example. If the wind during winter is prevalent from the north, this would be an important sector to consider when designing a site. Other examples of sectors include, but are not limited to:
water
sunlight (winter and summer)
fire risk
noise
traffic
wildlife
pollution
and so on....
Relationships
The more relationships we create between each element in a site the more resilient the system becomes. It is not the number of elements that is important, but the number of meaningful connections that we create between those elements that matters.
An example of this would be a greenhouse which not only functions as a plant growing structure, but also acts to catch water falling on its roof and therefore waters plants in a garden adjacent to the greenhouse. It might also be supported by insulation from northern wall connected to a garage or house, creating another connection. Further, the west wall of the structure could be used as a support for a grapevine, and so on.
Another example is the well-known "three sisters" guild used traditionally by First Nations peoples, which entails growing a stalk of corn, with a bean vine and squash at its base. The corn stalk provides support for the bean vine to grow up, while the squash acts as a living mulch to prevent evaporation at the soil level.
Water water water!
One of the first components we consider when permaculturing a landscape is how we are going to capture, conserve and utilize the water flowing onto a particular landscape.
Water Catchment - as most properties do not have their own creeks or rivers running through them, water catchment from rain is examine. This occurs wherever there is a hard and impermeable surface for the rain to flow across. We examine the slope and thus channel the water according to our needs.
Water Storage - Can be done with the use of swales, dams, or other storage devices such as rain barrels. The higher the water is stored the more energy and therefore the more uses can be made of the water. Swales are trenches in the landscape which are constructed along the level contours in order to create an even distribution of water. Swales are also mulched to prevent evaporation and after a good rain will continue to provide water to plants for weeks.
Sectors
A sector is simply an energy which flows through a site. Wind would be one example. If the wind during winter is prevalent from the north, this would be an important sector to consider when designing a site. Other examples of sectors include, but are not limited to:
water
sunlight (winter and summer)
fire risk
noise
traffic
wildlife
pollution
and so on....
Relationships
The more relationships we create between each element in a site the more resilient the system becomes. It is not the number of elements that is important, but the number of meaningful connections that we create between those elements that matters.
An example of this would be a greenhouse which not only functions as a plant growing structure, but also acts to catch water falling on its roof and therefore waters plants in a garden adjacent to the greenhouse. It might also be supported by insulation from northern wall connected to a garage or house, creating another connection. Further, the west wall of the structure could be used as a support for a grapevine, and so on.
Another example is the well-known "three sisters" guild used traditionally by First Nations peoples, which entails growing a stalk of corn, with a bean vine and squash at its base. The corn stalk provides support for the bean vine to grow up, while the squash acts as a living mulch to prevent evaporation at the soil level.
