I had just spent 1 year listening to this new land on 5 acres in the mountains, observing it's weather patterns, how rain would run down the slope, what was currently growing where. I was eager to build out my new Permaculture Garden.
Here are the beginning steps I took:
1. Keep Some Wild - Allowing some space to be unkept and taken over by the Wild allows the natural ecosystem to come back into balance.
2. Remove invasive Plants - One step at a time, remove invasive plants as we see them to make room for natives; invasive plants disrupt the food chain and natural ecosystem of all living creatures.
3. Plant Natives - While our vegetable garden may contain food we are accustomed to eating, we will plant Native flowers and trees that our non-human neighbors need as food and shelter.
4. Regenerate Soil - Planting Gardens surrounded by mulch for stronger mycelium below and incorporate regenerative agriculture for soil health with goats, rabbits, and chickens raised holistically.
5. Remove Synthetics - All pesticides, even organic, will kill beneficial insects. A healthy balance of good and evil is vital to a harmonious garden.
6. Natural Garden Design - Think outside of the box! Gardens don't have to be all squares and rectangles. Instead, find symbols and shapes that mean something to you and create intention in the Garden.
Check out my Dream Garden Design with no boxes!
7. Hugelkultur - For long-term soil fertility and sustainable resourcing, build your own raised beds using logs, branches, leaves, and compost! You can create any shape bed with this method!
See how I built my hugelkultur beds!
8. Crop Rotation - Pests and Diseases can live in the soil for 2 years. If possible, rotate plant families so as not to plant the same family in the same space within 2 years.
9. Succession Planting - Plant at different times during the appropriate sowing times in order to get a harvest throughout the season instead of one big harvest all at once.
10. Rainwater Collection - Rainwater contains valuable nutrients that serve the garden! It's your most valuable natural resource to collect.
11. Optimal Lighting - Solar lights are great for storing energy and adding ambiance, but be mindful of unnatural lighting, like LED, that can disrupt the rhythms of nocturnal animals.
You don't have to conquer every step at once. Every little action counts to a healthier ecosystem!
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