Anyone who has ever grown their own food will understand the sense of achievement it brings. There's no feeling quite like pulling up carrots or turning the soil to uncover a good crop of potatoes. Not only does it provide you with healthy food (cheaper than the supermarkets!) but is good for the mind, the body, and the soul. And it can be good for the planet, too.
By taking your fruit and veg growing to another level, you will benefit from the produce and help to reverse the damage that has been inflicted on our environment over the past few centuries.
Millions of people across the world have taken up this challenge by starting permaculture gardens.
If you're not familiar with permaculture, you may be under the impression that it is something scientific, technical, or cult-like. You might believe it to be beyond your capabilities. But it really is quite simple, requiring two things; careful thought and sensible planning. The word 'permaculture' simply means either Permanent Agriculture or Permanent Culture, and it refers to the philosophy of working with nature instead of against it.
If you are already a gardener, then you're halfway there! Experienced gardeners understand the necessity of long-term planning. Permaculture gardens take things a step further.
To understand permaculture better, it pays to take a look at the principles and ethics that underly this movement. With its roots in the 1960s, permaculture was inspired by concerns about possible disruption to food supplies during the oil crisis in the USA. Also, the beginnings of environmentalism were taking shape as certain scientists started to uncover data which suggested that humans were having a negative impact on the Earth.
And so, the movement gathered pace, founded upon these ideas:
If you're not familiar with permaculture, you may be under the impression that it is something scientific, technical, or cult-like. You might believe it to be beyond your capabilities. But it really is quite simple, requiring two things; careful thought and sensible planning. The word 'permaculture' simply means either Permanent Agriculture or Permanent Culture, and it refers to the philosophy of working with nature instead of against it.
If you are already a gardener, then you're halfway there! Experienced gardeners understand the necessity of long-term planning. Permaculture gardens take things a step further.
To understand permaculture better, it pays to take a look at the principles and ethics that underly this movement. With its roots in the 1960s, permaculture was inspired by concerns about possible disruption to food supplies during the oil crisis in the USA. Also, the beginnings of environmentalism were taking shape as certain scientists started to uncover data which suggested that humans were having a negative impact on the Earth.
And so, the movement gathered pace, founded upon these ideas:
There is also a set of 12 principles that extend from this, which encourage people to use creative thinking, to observe and work with nature and the cycle of the seasons as much as possible, and to value diversity.
A permaculture garden, then, is one that has been planned and designed with nature in mind. Aspects such as sunshine, location, positioning of plants, wind, and rainfall will all have been taken into account. If you are reducing, reusing, recycling as much as possible, and are putting effort into thinking carefully about your actions - especially within your garden - then you are basically following permaculture principles.
One of the great things about this practice is that almost anyone can do it. Whether you have acres of land, an average-sized garden, a backyard, or even a balcony or window box, you can engage in permaculture gardening. It's about self-reliance, whatever the scale. And the simple act of growing plants or vegetables helps the environment, even if only in a small way. The tiniest steps in the right direction all add up to make a difference.