Permaculture:

Ancient Wisdom, Modern Ingenuity

I was first introduced to the concept of Permaculture at orientation for my masters program at the Bainbridge Graduate Institute. I have had a garden my whole life and some of my best memories are from helping my parents out in the garden weeding and picking fresh fruits, veggies, herbs and berries since I was about 5 years old. When I learned about permaculture, I immediately felt a deep connection to the philosophy, it just clicked.

The basic concept behind permaculture is that we as a species have had knowledge of symbiotic relationships in nature. Just like people, certain types of plants like eachother and other combinations just don't get along. By capitalizing on the natural symbiosis, as gardeners we can coax more productivity from our gardens with minimal effort. Permaculture works best on a small scale (less than 3 acres) due to the fully embraced methodology of Poly-Cropping. Or in other words, when practicing permaculture, it is essential that one does not simply plant in rows of the same, but rather we tend to think in clusters so that pests and molds have a more difficult time settling in.

Really though, there are no rules - just basic guidelines. My intent for this blog is to outline the basic concepts of permaculture and give detailed examples of how to make them work. Anyone can be a permaculture practitioner, it just takes a little creativity and willingness to go off the beaten path. Here is to growing your own!!