As spring approaches, you may want to consider starting a garden.
There's no shortage of gardening techniques, but if you're interested in creating a long-lasting garden, give permaculture a try.
Permaculture uses natural patterns to create productive, sustainable gardens connected to the environment. The focus is on indoor gardens to reduce waste.
So how do you create a permacular garden? Well, preparation is a big part. And patience, a lot of patience.
Observation
According to Becky Elder, director and founder of Pikes Peak Permaculture, it's important to know the soil where you plan to garden.
watch Where does the sun shine? How does the sun move around? Where does the wind blow? According to the elder, it is important to study the soil to know what to plant.
"You'd want to spend at least a year on Earth to see what's out there," he said. “Is there a bolt (early seeding plant) in the spring? If you go in autumn, the bolts will not be visible and you can plant something.
Note if there are any animals such as deer or land animals and what kind of trees grow on the property. Notice what other plants are growing and are healthy.
"All these things determine your design and what to plant, and this takes time," says Elder. But, again, the key is patience.
Education
Before taking the plunge, it's a good idea to understand what to do and why. There is no shortage of resources.
Gardening and permaculture education can be found at local nurseries and garden stores, as well as through special programs, Elder said. Books are a great resource for creating a permaculture garden.
"Any lesson you can get," said the old man. "Know what you're doing."
Preparation and design
An important aspect of Permalink is its successful design.
Place the plants and materials where they are intended, says Elder. For example, if you plant plants, make sure they are placed near the door or near the kitchen so they can be used, he said.
"You know why you put it there," said the old man. "Don't put your compost behind your garden because it will never get there."
There are different ways to create a garden with special benefits.
Keyhole gardens are a way to grow food. It takes up less space, allowing gardeners to go to the center, store their tools and work in the garden. One of the benefits of Keyhole is that it's a great place to compost, Elder said.
The twist of grass is another clever design, like the old man. Elevated spiral gardens are taller as they approach the center and are good for accommodating plants with different needs as they provide different microclimates.
"When you finish your construction, you will have this mountain that will retain the heat of the sun for a longer period of time in the fall and quickly retain heat in the spring," he said.
Land
In places like Colorado, where the soil tends to be sandy, Elder said it's important to improve the quality of the soil.
"Soil feeds plants, it's a wonderful material," said Elder. “People don't always realize that soil is a living thing. When you water your plants, you are actually watering the soil to reach the plants.
Elder recommends the lasagna method of improving soil rather than buying a bag from the lawn shop. The exfoliation method involves layering compost material to create naturally rich soil.
You start your lasagna garden with cardboard, then compost, leaves, wood chips, lice, etc., sitting on the ground. Make sure the water comes out of the ground nuts.
"Your land was made for you," he said. "You can save money by plowing more land to use our landscape for land production."
The good news is that you can cultivate the soil at any time of the year: in fact, Elder recommends doing it in autumn or winter to prepare your garden for spring.
Installation
For permaculture gardens, they are useful for many years. This does not mean that allowances cannot play a role.
"Permaculture is based on permanent plants," says Elder. "We do annual increases, but we don't focus on them."
Permaculture trees like apple, cherry, and berry bushes are great for permaculture gardening because they produce continuously as they grow.
"Once you start production, you keep producing and producing and you don't have to go out and do it again every year," he said.
Herbal medicines are also a staple of contemporary food and medicine.
"There are so many wonderful medicinal plants that we can grow in our gardens and use them properly," Elder said.
Use what you have
Using what's readily available is a great way to create your own permaculture garden.
For example, Elder recommends using rainwater or wastewater for gardening.
“We're not asking people to go out and buy more barrels and store more water. It is difficult to store water without a drop. But there are things we can do," he said.
"We can have a sewer system that takes shower water and flushes water."
