Warning: Missing argument 4 for head() in /home/sites/alicebowelandscapes.com/public_html/template.php on line 4 Eco garden design > permaculture > gardening in our changing climate
Permaculture is based around the idea of designing for sustainability and many of these ideas can be adopted in eco-friendly, green garden designs.
The term Permaculture was originally coined by Australians Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in the 1970’s to describe permanent agriculture – that is the conscious design and maintenance of agriculturally productive eco systems which have the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems.
As a lifestyle ethic as well as a design system, Permaculture has long suffered from a ‘hippy’ image but the aims and aspirations of this movement are admirable and should not be ignored by garden designers. Gardening in our changing climate, it is only sensible that we should think about the bigger picture, and the ways in which we can help new garden designs to work with nature and fit in with the eco-system it is unavoidably part of.
Permaculture aims to go one step further than organic principles and create a system of sustainable living and culture. As a garden designer, we can develop these ideas further and consider ways of integrating these sustainable and eco-friendly principals with the aesthetics and beauty of a well designed garden.
Permaculture is closely related to Forest Gardening – to find out more click here
PERMACULTURE EXAMPLES UK
Plants for a Future
Researching and trialing edible and other useful plant crops for sustainable cultivation. Their online database currently features over 7,000 such species that can be grown within the UK
Prickly Nut Woods
Built a house almost entirely using products from the woodland in which it is situated – as featured on the Grand Designs TV series
RISC Roof Garden
This roof garden in Reading city centre is an excellent example of urban permaculture design. It is used by schools, educators and designers as an educational resource for sustainable development and is a member of the National Gardens Scheme. The garden is comprised of dense plantings of over 180 species of edible and medicinal plants and is fed by rainwater and composted waste from the centre.
More information can be obtained from the UK Permaculture Association
Although, I am not convinced that following the principals of permaculture is the only way to create green garden designs, it is good to be forced to think about the bigger picture and I think garden design has a lot to learn from these ideas.
