Originally coined by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in the 1970’s, permaculture is a way of providing for life’s necessities, which also respects nature. While there are many kinds of activities that are considered to be “permaculture”, the term itself refers to an overall design approach guided by a number of ethics and principles. It is through the application of these principles that an activity becomes permaculture. Where gardening and landscaping are concerned, permaculture is about creating relationships that enable a landscape to be self-sustaining and low-maintenance. "A Permaculture Food Forest", is a film about an Australian couple who adopted the food forest model to grow food, earn income and give back to nature. 

 

  

 

One of the best examples of a permaculture activity that creates relationships is a food forest. A food forest, like a natural forest, has layers (e.g. tall trees, shrubs, ground cover) and within these, living things that exist together symbiotically. 

 

In a food forest you can cultivate a variety of edible and medicinal plants, which also help one another  to grow and be healthy. In the example illustrated on this page, tall evergreen trees like Douglas Fir and Red Cedar are located on the North side of the property and act as a heat trap to create a warm microclimate for plants below. Near these are Alder trees, which host a population of nitrogen-fixing bacteria on their roots to make this important nutrient more available to plants in the soil. A bit further from these are an apple tree and blueberry shrubs, both of which attract beneficial insects and birds that pollinate and, in the birds’ case, also fertilize the soil. Beneath these lives Oregano, a delicious and hardy herb that can withstand the most stressful of growing conditions. Creeping on the ground are strawberries, further attracting pollinators and providing shade to keep the soil moist. Finally, below the surface grows Daikon radish, a root vegetable often used in Asian cuisine. Its large root pulls nutrients up to the soil’s surface and if left to decompose in the ground, will leave a space for air to circulate and water to accumulate. 

 By having a densely arranged community of plants that work in cooperation with one another, a food forest effectively retains moisture and provides a network of roots that increases nutrient absorption.

 

 

 

Other features of a permaculture-designed landscape could include a rainwater catchment system, sheet mulched garden beds or a solar thermal greenhouse. In the case of the latter, it is a system which allows for temperature regulation without the use of fossil fuels. Some of the features that make this possible include barrels of water to capture and retain heat, air vents to regulate temperature (located at ground level and up above, to move air via convection), and a fish pond to provide CO2, which feeds the plants. By storing energy, reducing waste and making the most out of renewable resources, these activities further contribute to creating a permacultture landscape.

 

 

To some people permaculture is just plain common sense. It’s about making the most of what’s around you to work with nature, instead of against it. For example, if there is an area of your yard that is often soggy or pools water: consider installing a holding pond, or water-loving plant varieties instead of fighting tooth and nail to dry it out. By accepting the uniqueness of a landscape, recognizing its strengths and opportunities and taking advantage of these to turn problems into solutions, permaculturists create gardens that are both self-sustaining and in-synch with nature.