Permaculture
Permaculture is based on natural systems and is focused on integrating human activity with the natural surroundings. Bill Mollison was the main founder of permaculture, a horticulturalist. The design principles were founded by David Holmgren and his more recent work has been focused on resiliency. Permaculture is trying to develop very stable systems and the use of permaculture in gardening has really grown. A great local resource in Vancouver to visit for permaculture courses and information is www.villagevancouver.ca.
The 12 permaculture principles:
1. Observe and interact
2. Catch and store energy – the wall of the building will absorb the heat and keep the building warm, capturing water at a high point on land or at stages down the slope of a hill.
3. Obtain a yield
4. Use renewable resources – using straw as a mulch – suppresses weeds, retains moisture, it turns into soil and feeds the microorganisms that build soil and also regulates the temperature of the soil creating a happy ecosystem in the soil. Another example is animal manure
5. Produce no waste – ferns produce an abundance of pollen and the pollen is lifted up in the air and seed the rain – thats one of the reasons why forests produce their own rain.
6. Apply self regulation and accept feedback – not taking more than the system can sustain. It is about understanding the limits of what you have
7. From patterns to details – how does the water move across the property, where do animals move (create barriers where they normally travel), where is the sun and where is it shady over the course of the day and the seasons
8. Integrate rather than segregate
9. Use small and slow solutions
10. Value diversity – diversity creates stability – marigold flowers are slug and mosquito repellents, planted with squash and kale. There is no master plan on what goes with what
11. Using the edge – things grow better on the edge
12. Respond to change – everything is changing