Base map of Gardenwood

Here is Kevin’s first attempt at a base map using Google earth and photoshop.  Click on the image to see a larger version.

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Elements and Functions

Elements and functions.

You should have a pretty good feel for what elements and functions are by now but here’s more info.

 I like to think of elements as the “tools” to get the functions done.  For example, a rain barrel (element) is the tool that gets water harvesting (function) accomplished.  Hand in hand with the idea of elements and functions is the notion of redundancy and resilience. And all this boils down to CONNECTIONS. Too much perma-babble? Read on.

The more interdependencies and relationships we have, the better. So, yes my rain barrel harvests rainwater for later use but it also is an easy source of water to dip out for my ducks to bathe in, it reduces mud and erosion up next to my house, it is a fun place for kids to float boats, it could grow fish and water plants, it creates a tiny, special microclimate where a shade loving plant could live, it reduces storm runoff in urban area and so on. And by placing the rain barrel element in my design, I have a bit more resilience. If the barrel is full when my water main breaks, my ducks or special potted plants won’t go thirsty. Even better, if I have a little pond for the ducks that collects rain water from another downspout, then I have more redundancy and resilience.

Redundancy, simply, is multiple elements doing one function.  I like to have potable water on hand at all times (not an extravagant desire). So I have a well, water in my hot water heater, water stored in glass bottles and water purification methods. We should not go thirsty.

This redundancy leads to resilience, or the ability to withstand pressures.  Even with a broken well pump, power outage or other interruption of my normal water supply, we still won’t go thirsty.

It is the overlap of elements performing more than one function and the functions being performed my more than one element that leads to the web of connections that make well-thought out designs so stable (resilient).  Sometimes this overlapping is also called “stacking” functions…we should stack ‘em high!

Here are some links so that you can read other’s thoughts on this. I’m sure they will be clearer than mine

http://romanyrest.net/elements.aspx  Nice tables on elements and functions.

http://www.permacultura.org.mx/en/permaculture/locations-of-elements/

http://islandbreath.blogspot.com/2010/03/permaculture-multiple-function.html

http://www.greenhousebed.com/Permaculture/permaculture_examples.htm (great garden pictures!)

Again, I am leaning heavily toward horticulture here, but all these concepts apply to most anything…google:  financial permaculture

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Zones and Sectors

Right, so when you are walking around doing a rough base map, you need to be thinking about zones and sectors.

It makes life and design easier.  Below is info on zones and sectors. Zones are often thought of as concentric rings radiating outward from your house (like a bulls eye target). But zones are rarely circular or that fixed. Sectors are different, they are concerned with energy flows like where the wind blows from (wind energy), where the neighbors peep over the fence (nosey energy) or where foot or car traffic flows.

Nice discussion of zones:    (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zones_(permaculture)#Zones)

 

Nice discussion and diagram of sectors:

http://www.small-farm-permaculture-and-sustainable-living.com/permaculture_sectors.html

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Elements of Conscious Design

Next up…Elements of Conscious Design

 This is a big section that is best learned with hands-on projects. I dug quite a few swales that were actually diversion ditches before I got it right, but the principles are worth getting an idea of because they are, well cool and are things that create solutions. Real solutions to real problems.

 

Permaculture  Design Principles

Here is another of Holmgren’s pages, click on the icons for more info. The catchy phrases stick well in my brain    http://permacultureprinciples.com/principles.php

If the catchy phrases don’t stick in your brain try the following, pasted below or found at http://www.seedinternational.com.au/pc_principles.html

Permaculture Principles are based on close observation of nature, traditional sustainable agriculture systems earth sciences and common sense.

Below are definitions and examples of each of the Permaculture principles with relation to sustainable land management and property design.

DIVERSITY

Design for diversity and variety not monoculture. Aim to integrate a variety of beneficial species of food, plants and animals in the landscape. This builds a stable and interactive polycultural system that provides for human needs and also the needs of other species. Polycultures are stable as they reflect the design of a natural ecosystem.

Example:
In a diverse garden you will find many foods all year round to provide a healthy and balanced diet. There will also be habitat for animals and insects which help in natural pest control; flowers to attract pollinators and create a beautiful garden; herbs for teas, flavour and medicine etc…. Using this principle of diversity, you can create a garden which has much more food available in the same space. It is also recognises the need to provide and maintain the habitat for other species without which we could not survive.

EDGE EFFECT

There is more life on the edge where two systems overlap. Systems can then access the resources of both. Use the edge effect and other natural patterns observed to create the best effect. (There are no straight lines in nature.)

Example:
If a pond or dam has a shallow ledge it provides places for fish to breed, for plants to grow which can feed the fish. Also, with a wavy edge it can provide more edge for this habitat.

ENERGY PLANNING

Place things in a permaculture design to minimise the use of energy (human and fossil fuels). Utilise the energy and resources both on-site and from outside as effectively as possible. This also saves time, energy and money.

Examples:
Internal energy- eg. Use slope and gravity to move water rather than electric pumps.

External energy – eg. direct cooling breezes into your house with trees, but shield your house and garden from the strong winds, which can cause damage, or be unpleasant. Place the kitchen garden as close to the house as possible. It therefore has easy access for harvesting and maintenance and it is in view so that you can protect it from potential damaging effects (stray animals etc)

NUTRIENT CYCLING

In a natural system there is no waste or pollution – the output from one natural process is always the resource for another natural process. Recycle and reuse your local resources as many times as possible within a polycultural system.

Example:
Recycle nutrients on-site (eg food scraps to compost) so that you do not need to import expensive fertiliser. Also use your wastewater to water and fertilise plants – therefore not creating polluting runoff into nearby waterways. Plant roots take up these nutrients and turn them into food, in the process cleansing the water.

SCALE

Create human-scale systems and be space efficient. Choose simple, appropriate and effective technologies. Do as much as you are able. Start small and take achievable steps to reach your goal successfully. Create groups which enable people to feel they can actively participate, be involved in the decision making and feel a connection to and ownership of the process.

Examples:
Design to make intensive use of space – create multi-layered and diverse gardens. This allows you to meet your needs from less space and in a global sense maximises the space available for natural systems to maintain the ecological balance, which supports human and other life.

BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES

Use natural methods and processes to achieve a task. Find things in nature (plants, animals, microbes etc) that enjoy doing the task and minimise the inputs required from outside.

Examples:
Chickens like to scratch. In preparation for a garden bed, use chickens to scratch up the area eat the. weeds/weed seeds and fertilise it before planting. Comfrey (herb) has deep roots, which bring nutrients from deep down in the soil. The leaves can then be used to make a rich fertiliser instead of chemical fertilisers.

Compost worms like to decompose organic matter. While doing this they make holes in the soil which allows the movement of air and water (saves you from having to dig). They also leave natural fertiliser in the soil as they move through it, which feeds the plants making them stronger against pests and more nutritious to eat. Worms make healthy soil (healthy soil = healthy plants = healthy people). Therefore help the worms do the garden digging and fertilising for you by returning organic matter (their food) to the soil and by mulching the soil thus protecting their home (the topsoil).

MULTIPLE ELEMENTS

Support each vital need and essential function in more than one way (don’t put all your eggs in one basket!). Also recognise that there’s more than one way to achieve a task.

Examples:
In a monoculture garden, there is only one type of food available. If that single crop fails due to pests and diseases, there is no other food in your garden. Where possible grow many types of food – vegetables, fruits, leafy greens, herbs, tubers, grains, legumes, and nuts.

Also, don’t rely on just once source of water – try to access as many sources as possible – river, dam, pond, tank, town water, bore, well etc… If one source is contaminated or depleted, there will be another source of available water (a vital need).

MULTIPLE FUNCTIONS

Everything has many uses and functions. In permaculture we aim to design so that every element performs at least 3 functions.

Example:
A tree can perform many functions – food, shade, timber, fibre, microclimate, habitat, soil improvement and maintenance, mulch, animal fodder etc…. Choose species, which have the most functions you require and place them where they can be of the most use and meet your needs most efficiently.

NATURAL SUCCESSION

Work with nature and the processes of natural systems. Facilitate natural growth and help to accelerate it naturally.

Example:
When establishing a garden or orchard, delicate plants need to be protected from harsh sun, wind and rain. Use hardy and fast-growing pioneer species to create a good environment for their growth and to provide protection.

RELATIVE LOCATION

Every element is placed in relationship to others so that they can benefit each other. Create supportive environments by placing things together which help to develop a self-sustaining system, replicating a natural ecosystem. From a functional perspective – those things used together, place together. This allows more efficient use of a space and minimisation of your energy in utilising these resources.

Examples:
Companion planting- ie plant garlic under citrus to help prevent aphids.

Where possible, place the compost heap so that it is easily accessible from the kitchen (for food scraps), and close to the garden where the finished compost will be used. In addition, it is good to place the compost heap uphill from the garden as the nutrients that leach from the heap will run straight into the vegetable garden and fertilise it without you having to do any work Ð itÕs much easier to carry heavy loads of compost downhill.

 

OK, so you now you have the principles (aka common sense) to guide your designs. In your designs, you will have elements that perform functions. Elements are the physical things. Functions are, well, functions that are performed by the elements.  More on this soon!

But for now, let’s do something other than look at a screen or book.

Observation….is where designs begin.

Winter is a wonderful time to observe you landscape. While I’m going to describe this process for your local land/yard, if you are interested in something less horticultural, think how you could apply the same process to whatever else you are interested in.

So, in winter, you can see the bones of your land. The ridges, dips, cold spots, warm spots, windy spots. Look at where the snow stays, where it melts first, where it piles up, where the cats sun themselves, where the dog sleeps at different times of the day. Where do your paths form in the slush?  Where do you get a blast of icy wind and where are you sheltered? Could your vehicular access be better? Can you even make it up your driveway in the snow? Do you need a plow? Can you hire someone to plow for you? Where does the water from the melting snow accumulate?

And so on and so forth. Don’t make conclusions, plans or judgments. Just look around. Draw some really simple, quick, basic maps with bubbles for where the permanent structures are and where the energies flow. A big arrow to show the howling wind’s direction, a shading of yellow to show the warm spots. No one will have to see the map so it doesn’t matter if it looks like a preschooler did it. It is important, however, that you actually go outside to do it…be in the space to get the feel of it.

Zones, sectors, functions, elements next time.

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Ethics

We have a good basic idea of what it is and how it works, now let’s dig deeper into how to do it.

Below is further discussion of pc ethics and principles (and in a couple more messages).  After digesting that, it’s time to get out paper, pencil, coat and boots.  This is the perfect time of year to do a base map of your site and start observing it through seasonal changes.

Pc Ethics:

Permaculture Ethics Care for the Earth, Care for people, Fair Share

This is the link I posted before… http://permacultureprinciples.com/ethics.php  Go here and then click on each icon to read Holmgren’s take on each ethic.

Here’s more (from  http://www.heathcote.org/PCIntro/3Ethics.htm)

What are the ethics of permaculture?

The ethics of permacultureWhen we talk about permaculture we can start by talking about the ethics because permaculture is an ethical design system. The ethics are at the core of permaculture. They define how one should behave toward the earth and each other.

The three ethics of permaculture

1. Care of the earth means that our number one priority is taking care of the earth, making sure we don’t damage its natural systems.

2. Care of the people means meeting people’s needs so that people’s lives can be sustained and have a good quality of life as well but without damaging the earth.

3. Accepting limits to population and consumption is realizing that as a human species we cannot continue to increase and also sustain the planet. We must put limits on our own growth and on our own consumption. Sometimes you will hear this ethic phrased as “share the surplus, invest all of your means in the first two ethics”. This means limiting your consumption so that you can invest your resources in caring for the earth and caring for the people.

So, do you think designing or creating anything with this ethical basis could work? Can you think of a design that doesn’t have an ethical basis and is having unforeseen consequences or could be improved? Is applying ethics even possible in ‘the real world’?

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Basics

Permaculture basics

Introduction to Permaculture (DONE)

The current state of affairs global environmental state, peak everything, Pc history and evolution (How are we all doing here? Is everyone up on the state of crisis we are in and why applying pc principle and tools to restoring this planet are essential? Time is running out on many fronts..energy, water, endangered species, clean air and so on. It might be nice if everyone posted a link to an article on their favorite problem. Not to be glib but there are so many to choose from)

Permaculture Ethics Care for the Earth, Care for people, Fair Share http://permacultureprinciples.com/ethics.php (check out this link if you have a moment)

Elements of Conscious Design

Permaculture Design Principles sustainable agriculture, energy conservation, entropy, using natural ecosystems as models, problems as opportunities, stacking functions, zone, sector, slope,climate, microclimates appropriate scale, local solutions http://permacultureprinciples.com/principles.php

Design components windbreaks, hedgerows, fire based systems, fencing, shade, swales, succession, guilds, keylines, topography, water management, buildings, animals, people http://romanyrest.net/elements.aspx

 The design process “long and thoughtful observation”, visioning, ideation, feasibility, time-scale, drawing, winnowing, refining, implementation, evolution http://transition.putney.net/index.php?ID=51

Basic Needs

Food Edible landscaping, low energy food production, annuals vs. perennials, cash crops, gardening strategies, orchards , forest gardens, guilds, sheet mulching, community food solutions-csa,etc, biomass recycling, vermicomposting, composting-fast/slow, trees, soil, harvest, storage, preservation, Greenhouse agriculture

Water/Waste greywater, blackwater, capturing and reusing water, rainwater, water conservation, waste management, nutrient cycling,

Animals wild, domestic, IPM, heritage breeds, forage, animal energy and pattern, aquatic crops and aquaculture

 Shelter / Structures siting principles, passive/active solar, wind and water power, retrofitting, natural buildings, land use planning, building codes, co-housing

Fuel / Technology Agroforestry, fuelwood, charcoal, reforestation, Appropriate technology, tools, transportation, computer tech, alternative fuels

People care

Adapting in place stay/go?, inventory, resources, needs, family considerations, meeting needs

Pc for renters

Community conflict resolution, consensus building, diversity, arts, sharing surpluses, food security , open space events, shareholders, visioning

Money Alternative economies (bartering, currencies)

Health alternative health

Education

Bioregionalism

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Outline

Introduction

 For the observation, let’s all introduce ourselves, give as much detail as you like.

For goals, they will vary. For me, I’d like to learn more about Pc and share its principles with others. I think it is one of the best tools for building a better world.

Now, for the record, I don’t want to do this by myself so please post…questions, answers, ideas, related materials, whatever. Also, I am not an expert in much of anything but some of you are. Take that as a hint to share your expertise.

I’m going to start by posting some suggested readings to get us all on the same page regarding basic Pc ideas. We are a diverse group and I know some of you know this but some don’t.

If you have Gaia’s Garden (GG from here on out, and I will reference page numbers from the second edition, if you have the first, it should all be in there somewhere as well) read the whole thing as Brian has done or at least read:
1) Pages 5-7, the inset box titled: What is permaculture. I’m sure there is a similar box in the first edition
2) Chapter 3 Designing the ecological Garden

Or Google “What is permaculture”

Or visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permaculture for a complete, if somewhat dry, discussion.

*I think an important point in GG is when Toby says that although GG is about gardening, Pc is applicable to SO MUCH more. Many of us are interested in gardening but our application of these principles shouldn’t stop at the deer fence.

We all have different schedules and amounts of time to devote to this project. Do what you can, when you can, how you can. Pc solutions are personal, local, and scalable. They evolve over time.
To be honest, I think this is going to be great!

Vicky

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