The “Essence of Permaculture”, the Design Principles / Permaculture Flower posters and lyrics to the 'Rhymer's Manual' are free to download

In permaculture, weeds are an essential part of the ecosystem. Instead of digging them out or using herbicides, you should compost them to add value to the

A permaculture swale is a technique for capturing and storing water in a garden. Learn how to build a swale in the home landscape.

The quince - an almost forgotten fruit. http://www.arborix.be/sites/default/files/Quitte_Cydonia_oblonga.jpg Common Name: Quince Scientific Name: Cydonia oblonga Family: Rosaceae Cutting a quince can be tough - use a sharp knife and be careful. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwoOpRGDzuymxpGYjdKF38LWu4CnCU5N_WrXk4EyWIPvNDl7t12HNyVCcEvfGqdddrYbPGsPnJcrqBWRETPX67Oby53Uc_OsBp3u7DrWyxIoUtDuFR1BRjD7GjWmQvN3R5Pg96XNx1isg/s1600/QuinceCut.jpg Description: This ancient relative to the apple resembles yellowed, large, lumpy, more pear-shaped, and slightly fuzzy apples. The fragrance of a few ripe quinces can fill a room with an intoxicatingly sweet aroma. These are small trees or large shrubs that are treated much like apples in cultivation. At least once in the late autumn or early winter, I will make an apple-quince pie with currants, and it is one of my favorite holiday desserts. The smell in the kitchen when I have the quince poaching in sweet wine with vanilla beans is heavenly. I can’t wait to grow my own quinces, because I can’t always find them in grocery stores. Fortunately, they will stay fresh in the refrigerator for over a month, so I grab them when I see them. Painting of a quince - Pancrace Bessa (1772-1835) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pancrace_Bessa00.jpg History: The Quince Tree is native to the central and eastern Middle East. The cultivation of the quince likely preceded that of the apple, but it is difficult to ascertain. Early writings which referred to the "apple" were likely referring to the quince instead. The city-state of Kydonia on the island of Crete was where the quince was improved to the level we know today. The scientific name of the quince is Cydonia and is an alternate spelling of Kydonia. Trivia: True Quince (C. oblonga) should not be confused with “Flowering Quince” (Chaenomeles japonica) or the “Chinese Quince” (Pseudocydonia sinensis) which are more ornamental. Some believe the "forbidden fruit" in the Garden of Eden was a quince The Quince is associated with Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. The Quince is known as the "fruit of love, marriage, and fertility". The Quince was given as a gift to the bride to sweeten her breath before entering the bridal chamber. The Quince is likely the "apple" in the Song of Solomon and the "golden apple" that Paris awarded Aphrodite. The word "marmalade" originally meant a quince jam and is derived from the Portuguese word "marmelo" - the Portuguese word for quince. Quince will change color from pale yellow to light pink or even deep red when cooked. Turkey produces one quarter of the world's quinces. The "fuzz" is more apparent on some varieties than others. http://www.7dayjuicediet.com/web-blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/quince-fruit1.jpg USING THIS PLANT Primary Uses: Fresh eating – only certain varieties. Most need to be cooked first to get rid of the astrigency Poached Baked Goods Preserves, Jams, Jellies (great addition of flavor and aroma when mixed with other fruits; naturally high in pectin) Stewed with meats especially lamb, duck, and turkey Teas Wine, Cider Secondary Uses: General insect (especially bees) nectar plant Specimen plant – beautiful, fragrant blossoms and older plants develop gnarled trunks Due to the intense fragrance, quince can be used as a room deodorizer Quince leaves contain high levels of tannin and can be used for tanning Quince are regularly used as rootstock for pears Yield: 1 bushel (35 liters), 75 lbs Harvesting: September - November. Pick when the fruit is firm, fully yellow colored (no green), and fragrant. Storage: Will store in a cool place (like a refrigerator) for 1-2 months. Handle carefully as quinces can bruise easily even when hard. Cydonia oblonga - Franz Eugen Kohler (1897) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Koeh-049.jpg DESIGNING WITH THIS PLANT USDA Hardiness Zone: 4-9 AHS Heat Zone: 9-3 Chill Requirement: 50-450 hours/units depending on the species and variety Plant Type: Small Tree to Medium-sized Shrub Leaf Type: Deciduous Forest Garden Use: Canopy Tree for small Forest Garden, Sub-Canopy (Understory) Tree, Shrub Cultivars/Varieties: Many varieties available. New varieties are resistant to many common diseases. Pollination: Self-Pollinating/Self-Fertile Flowering: May-August depending on the variety and USDA Zone where it is planted Life Span: Years to Begin Bearing: 3-5 years, depends on the rootstock. Smaller adult plants will bear sooner. Years to Maximum Bearing: 5-10 years Years of Useful Life: No good references for this, but considering its size and relatives, it can likely live to be at 30 years and maybe over 50 years The quince blossom is much larger than that of apples. http://wp.macfusion.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/quince-cydonia-oblonga.jpg PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS PLANT Size: 10-20 feet (3-7 meters) tall and wide Roots: Shallow and flat Growth Rate: Medium An older, but still very productive, quince tree. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2566/3849492562_fd06b566d0.jpg GROWING CONDITIONS FOR THIS PLANT Light: Prefers full sun Shade: Tolerates light shade (about 50%) Moisture: Medium, however will be more susceptible to pests and disease in the shade pH: most species prefer fairly neutral soil (6.1 - 7.0) Special Considerations for Growing: Tolerates juglone (natural growth inhibitor produced by Black Walnut and its relatives). Consider using this tree as a buffer between your walnuts and other plantings. Propagation: Usually grafted. Will often root from cuttings. Seeds need at least 13 weeks stratification for germination Maintenance: Minimal. Quince fruit mainly on the tips of shoots made the previous year. After the initial framework is established (much like an apple tree), minimal pruning is required. Light pruning to let in more light and air circulation will improve yields. Concerns: Poisonous – Leaves and seeds contain a precursor to cyanide (large amounts need to be eaten for this to be toxic). Humid environments are ideal for quince leaf blight – consider resistant varieties. This is the only significant disease for the quince. Since it is such a close relative to apples, many diseases and pests that affect apples can cause trouble for quinces, but usually at a much reduced rate since apples are a “weaker” plant. A beautiful quince pie. http://cookingallday.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/12.jpg?w=300&h=300

Plant guilds are an important aspect of permaculture design. Food forest garden design examples, plant guild examples & the 7 layer food forest

Comfrey fertilizer is considered a powerhouse in the permaculture garden. Here are seven comfrey uses for building healthy soil and growing healthy crops.

Learn to grow your own food and live more sustainably with these free online permaculture courses.

An Online Course for PawPaws- Propagate, plant, process, and manage this incredible fruit like a pro with - and get FREE SEEDS for a limited time only!

This weblog is about my other biggest interest! Permaculture! Since I was a little kid I was already convinced that the way we live, the way we treat our planet is not the correct way. Since I was young I was always active in trying to make people aware about what we are doing to our planet. Nature will always survive us; we can never survive nature. If we want to live longer on this planet we should respect her more. At the moment we are only taking her sources and never giving something back. We are just taking, taking, taking... We should start to worry and make sure that we should bring back what we take. It is most important that we are starting to make the biological circle round again. We are just some visiters on this planet. It took me a very long time to find proper way to live on this planet. Two years ago I discovered Permaculture That was it!!!!! Till now it is still for me the best solution for the future. My focus is fully on it. In 2008 I started to volunteer in a beautiful permaculture garden in Den Oever, Holland. Elzo Stubbe started this garden www.wieringerakker.nl He taught me so much about permaculture. Elzo is an amazing, inspiring person with so much knowledge of plants and always willing to help. The permaculture garden of Elzo Overview garden In 2009 I followed a Permaculture Design Course by Darren Doherty from Australia. www.permaculture.biz/education/darrenCV.php In the meantime I also kept on helping Elzo Stubbe "classroom" Practical class Creating a Permaculture Design More designs till late at night Our exam to get our certifcate In 2010 I stayed for two months on a permaculture farm in Trinidad, an amazing place with wonderful people. Erle Rahaman-Noronha is the owner of the farm. I am so thankful to him for giving me this chance to learn more about tropical permaculture, to introduce me to a lot of realy nice people, to give me so much freedom and trust to design and create a gardenmandala on his farm. www.wasamakipermaculture.org The farm in Trinidad These are my experiences Coconut Beds The borders of the beds are like little walls. The material consist of coconut husks who are chopped into pieces. The coconut husks will keep grasses out and it is also holding water. It is always better to build up instead of digging. In between the walls we put also some husks so we don’t have to use to much soil. Because I was “renovating” the beds, the beds were already a partly filled with old soil. I started to reconstruct the walls. Afterwards I brought in some horse manure, which had been laying for a while. This will make it more fertile and it fixes nitrogen. Than it was time to make the soil. The soil is a mixture of 6 barrels of topsoil, 2 barrels of compost and 1 barrel of sharp sand. The compost is made of dry leaves and horse manure (1 barrel of manure and 30 barrels of leaves) and then you let it rot for months. The sharp sand is used for drainage since here we have heavy clay soil. I filled all the beds with the “soil”. After that I put an extra thin layer of pure compost.Then I made everything wet and put a lot of mulch. We took the mulch(dry leaves) from zone 3,4,5 since we had te remove the leaves there because of the bushfires. I used the mulch to maintain the soil and to prevent it from water evaporation. The best part was to make a little hole through the mulch and the soil and plant the seedling which will give us food. I planted the seedlings in a certain way so that the different kind of species get their benefits from each other. (companion planting, guilds). Coconut bed husks With a lot of mulch Long beds When I arrived, there were already 5 beautiful long beds in place. The soil was quite well maintained and there were some vegetables growing. The only thing I had to do was to punch holes with a fork for better drainage, add some horse manure, make it wet and put a lot of mulch! After letting it rest for a couple of weeks I was planting lots of seedlings in “companion planting way”. The next thing I found was that some of the seedlings were eaten by insects. I planted new seedlings, different species. Still some were eaten. One day, by accident, I put some lemongrass on top of a seedling and I found out, after more testing, that insects don’t like lemon grass! Long beds longbeds with mulch The Garden Mandala First I started to make a design. In the meantime we started to cut the grass in the shape of a circle. Because of the dryness we were forced to plough the plot. The clay was like concrete. I am not a big fan of plowing but it was highly necessary. We let this sit for a couple of days to make sure the grass would dry. Measurements and design Grass being cut Heavy clay soil It was great to start drawing the design on the soil. I collected a lot of sticks, a hammer, measuring tape, we started to measure and pound the sticks in the soil. Later on we started to dig the pathways which are giving the shape to the garden mandala! We were throwing the topsoil of the pathway on the mandala to safe and reuse the soil. Digging out the top soil Overview of the mandala shape We wanted to make the clay soil a bit more fertile. After wetting the soil I started to put some calcium on top of it. Erle made some natural nitrogen fixing liquid. It is made of legume plant with water and letting it ferment for 3 months. After the 3 months you dilute it 1:3, and spray it over the soil. After spraying we put compost and some horse manure, made everything wet and then applied a big layer of mulch! The white bags are full with horse manure Putting a big layer of mulch Pile of hay and we had 3 piles of leaves Over view Outside the circles we put calcium and compost, we gave the soil water and put lots of bamboo leaves and hay on top of it. When you have clay soil, you can better use bamboo leaves. Bamboe leaves contain lots of silica which is very good for making the claysoil more healthy. It will also be good to use sand for drainage. (In Trinidad sand is very expensive). After all this work, we made a little hut of bamboo to create some shade for the plants who cannot handle a lot of sun. On top of the frame we put some palmtree leaves Plants of the garden mandala Now everything is ready to plant. We choose certain edible plants which also break down the hard claysoil. Banana circle (the circle in the middle) We made a ditch of 1 meter deep and 2 meters wide. The ditch will be filled up with mulch and green matter. On top of the ditch there will be a frane and a shower. Around it there will be different kinds of species of bananas mixed in with papaya and around it sweet potato. Inside we can try to grow taro and yam. The middle circles are called keyholes. The function of keyholes is that you can stand in the middle and that you can harvest easily. L= Lemongrass the yellow small circles on the outside cirle are pineapple Planting all the plants, seedlings, seeds List of costs: In total we worked 140 hours on the garden mandala. Also you have to calculate the time to collect 3 huge piles of leaves and bringing it to the farm. 1/4 of pile of hay 21 bags of horse manure 14 wheel barrels of compost 1/4 bag of calcium The time to plow the soil. You should not forget the time to make the natural fixing Nitrigen liquid. Now it is waiting for the rain to let everything grow! Final result After crossing the ocean by sailboat I created an herb spiral in france. The herb spiral First I checked out the place, it should be close to the kitchen and also you should consider the position of the sun on the herb spiral. The place where I started to build one, was full with grass. So first thing I started to do is take all the grass away. Making a circle with a diameter of 2 meters. An easy way to do is to take 5 sticks and a rope of a litle bit more then 1 meter. Put 1 stick in the middle and tie the rope to the stick. Follow the end of the rope, put on north, east, south, west a stick. There you have your circle. The circle Digging out the gras After this job. I made a sprinkler to water the herb spiral. Also I added some big stones in the centre to make the herb spiral more stable. I started to make a circle of stones. Now, there is some work to do, making a big pile of good soil, I used 700 liters. Slowly with the help of the stones, soil and a level I build the spiral. When it got the right shape I made everything wet and started to plant the herbs. The herbs who don't need a lot of water on the top, and the ones who need more water you put them lower. Drawing side view View from above All the soil and the sprinkler Starting to level the soil Building the spiral Planting all the herbs Final result

A permaculture swale is a technique for capturing and storing water in a garden. Learn how to build a swale in the home landscape.

Thrown away or donated, most pillows have the same fate: the landfill. Give your old pillows new life by repurposing them around your home and garden like this.

Margrit Kennedy’s first book on money, translated into 22 languages. This book describes how money works. It reveals the reasons for the persistent fluctuation of one of our most important measuring tools and shows how money not only “makes the world go round” but also how it continuously causes destructive crises. It demonstrates how the […]

Packed full of vegetables this Homemade Classic French Ratatouille is the perfect Summer recipe! Easy, Plant-Based & Gluten-Free.

Welcome to our introduction to chaos gardening! Why should you study chaos gardening with us? Because it promises more than just vibrant blooms and tangled foliage. Chaos gardening is the easiest way to leverage old or unused seeds,

Listen to "Show 199: Garlic Mustard and Salad Burnet" on Spreaker. In this episode, I discuss the edible and medicinal properties of one of my absolute favorite wild edible plants and one of my favorite medicinal and culinary herbs... but considered weeds! Try Magic Mind for free here: https://www.magicmind.com/JUDSONCARROLLTRIAL With my code JUDSONCARROLLTRIAL Email: [email protected] Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/southern-appalachian-herbs--4697544/support Read about The Spring Foraging Cookbook: https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-spring-foraging-cookbook.html Available for purchase on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CRP63R54 New today in my Woodcraft shop: https://judsoncarrollwoodcraft.substack.com/p/wild-cherry-salt-bowl-1 Medicinal Weeds and Grasses of the American Southeast, an Herbalist's Guide https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2023/05/medicinal-weeds-and-grasses-of-american.html Available in paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C47LHTTH and Confirmation, an Autobiography of Faith https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2023/05/confirmation-autobiography-of-faith.html Available in paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C47Q1JNK Visit my Substack and sign up for my free newsletter: https://judsoncarroll.substack.com/ Read about my new other books: Medicinal Ferns and Fern Allies, an Herbalist's Guide https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2022/11/medicinal-ferns-and-fern-allies.html Available for purchase on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BMSZSJPS The Omnivore’s Guide to Home Cooking for Preppers, Homesteaders, Permaculture People and Everyone Else: https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2022/10/the-omnivores-guide-to-home-cooking-for.html Available for purchase on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BGKX37Q2 Medicinal Shrubs and Woody Vines of The American Southeast an Herbalist's Guide https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2022/06/medicinal-shrubs-and-woody-vines-of.html Available for purchase on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B2T4Y5L6 and Growing Your Survival Herb Garden for Preppers, Homesteaders and Everyone Else https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2022/04/growing-your-survival-herb-garden-for.html https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09X4LYV9R The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Bitter Herbs: https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-encyclopedia-of-bitter-medicina.html Available for purchase on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5MYJ35R and Christian Medicine, History and Practice: https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2022/01/christian-herbal-medicine-history-and.html Available for purchase on Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B09P7RNCTB Herbal Medicine for Preppers, Homesteaders and Permaculture People: https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2021/10/herbal-medicine-for-preppers.html Also available on Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B09HMWXL25 Podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/show/southern-appalachian-herbs Blog: https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/ Free Video Lessons: https://rumble.com/c/c-618325 Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/southern-appalachian-herbs--4697544/support.

https://instagram.com/p/BnCsKIWgVj_/ You want to LEARN JUST ONE WEIRD TRICK that will have a guaranteed positive effect on a huge range of features including: Farm and garden productivity and profitability Reduced irrigation requirements Reduce cost of fencing and livestock management and feeding Home and garden security Improved livability and reduced home heating and cooling costs Reduced pest and disease pressures Increased pollinators, native flora and fauna, Increased soil health and fertility, Increased water health, Increased biodiversity and overal ecosystem health Fight climate change by sequestering a whole lot of carbon And provide more food for less work than just about any thing else you can do? Then here's your word for the day: "hedgerows." (Schematic for a typical hedgerow in Normandy, France.) Hedgerows, or living fences and boundaries have been planted by humans for at least 6,000 years (Mueller, European Field Boundaries) to cheaply and easily provide a long, long list of services and simplify landscape management. Across climates, including in the tropics most researchers are stressing the importance of these "anthropogenic" systems to the health of ecosystems, with research domonstrating their value to wildlife, their ability to increase biodiversity, bolster native bird and invertebrate populations, act as a buffer from agricultural pollution, clean water, recharge aquifers, mitigate soil loss and erosion, sequester carbon, and so on. Across Europe and Asia, in cultures where hedgerows were common landscape feature , they are now being recognized for their value, and cherished for their associated cultural traditions and character within the landscape. In many countries, such as the UK or Japan, they are associated with culinary traditions, are considered an important part of the sense of place, such as the "bocage" landscapes of France, or have long-standing spiritual symbolism or religious and cultural traditions associated with them. Even in North America, where we culturally lack the deep appreciation for hedgerows, bocage, and "mosaic landscapes," and environmentalism is more influenced by the mythology and assumptions about a wide-open American "wilderness" untouched by humans (despite the large native population), Universities widely reinforce the high value of hedgerows and windbreaks for ecosystem health and agricultural productivity, and decry the loss of these features due to poor economic choices and poor understanding of food safety practices, as a tragedy. And while some agricultural authorities working under Food Safety and Modernization Act regulations superstitiously eye hedgerows with suspicion (or suggest that removing some hedgerows might be a "balanced approach) research continues to show that hedgerows do NOT pose a risk for contaminating food, and actually reduce risk while removal and "mitigation" efforts such as tilling around hedgerows may actually increase risk. But many studies have show that the improvements to ecosystem health from restoring hedgerows do carry benefits to humans in farming, gardening, home or other productive landscapes, including reduction in pests, and increase in pollination. In addition to a positive effect ecosystems, hedgerows can have more direct benefits and yields to humans depending upon their design, including firewood, building materials, reduced irrigation, increase soil fertility, free fertilizer, improved soil carbon, reduced soil loss, garden stakes and trellises, tool handles, better plant growth from shelter, and of course, foods and medicines. In most places where hedgerows exist, they have long been seen as an important source of both. Designing an Edible Hedgerow or Tapestry Hedge While one can use similar techniques for broad-scale windbreaks or livestock enclosures by making appropriate adaptations, this article will focuss on the small-scale edible hedgerow or tapestry hedge, based off of European designs and traditions. It was a couple of our favorite foraging spots which inspired our desire to have an edible fence. One in particular, was a naturally-occuring hedgerow that produced a large variety and quantity of fruits, nuts and vegetables throughout the season, all with little to no annual maintenance from humans. Compared to our hard work as guest farm laborers, the high rewards and low maintenance of our favorite hedgerow seemed like a great idea, and we decided to "take it home" with us. But when we began looking into expert recommendations on how to grow an edible hedge in the US, we were surprised to see everyone advocating against the species and spacings that was common to our favorite foraging spots. Was mother nature growing these natural food forests all wrong, as the experts suggested? Traditional Spacings: Tight! However, when we looked into resources on traditional hedge culture, species and techniques in other countries, we found systems that looked very much like what was occuring naturally at our favorite high-productivity, low-maintenance spots. (Mueller, European Field Boundaries Volumes 1 &2, etc.) While modern US recommendations look very different in terms of species selection, and management, the biggest difference between traditional hedge, hedgerow and windbreak technologies, and modern recommendations (at least in the US) is in spacings. Most common recommendations I can find from US sources recommend planting at spacings where crowns just intermix or touch at maturity (perhaps 7-10' centers for many shrub species, with many suggesting 5' was too tight) whereas traditional forms typically space plants at 1- 2 1/2'. While these seem very close to a gardener, these spacings approximate what one commonly sees occuring in natural thickets in many biomes, including our favorite foraging locations. But, despite the expert recommendations, these tight naturalistic plantings found in traditional hedgery, which have proven their effectiveness in experiments over millennia, have become the cutting edge of scientific forestry (as well as many Permaculture circles) throughout the world, since the 1980s when a Japanese forester named Akira Miyawaki took notice of the way Nature grows forests. It's no coincidence that this evolved technology of hedgerows closely resembles the cutting edge reforestation program referred to as the Miyawaki technique. Miyawaki was a forester interested in regrowing healthy forests in Japan for purpose of maintaining habitat, controlling erosion, sequestering carbon and solving other problems through the ecosystem services, who noticed that the plant spacings and communities used in "conventional" forestry practice looked nothing at all like the types of spacings and communities that would occur during natural reforestation, and that the conventional approach often performed poorly in comparison to the way nature solved this same problem. He hypothesized that the conventional recommendations were tested and developed to optimize commercial yield in various ways, not to optimize fast, easy cost-effective establishment of healthy forest. Basing his approach off of the observation of naturally-occuring rapid reforestation, he developed a system of using seed from locally-adapted, free specimens, with intermixed stages of succession, at very tight plantings, and he found that nature was solving the problem the right way. Across many climates and ecosystem types, Miyawaki's technique has been replicated and found to far out-perform conventional practice, with far less cost and fewer destructive chemical inputs. Indeed, some US sources appear to criticize Miyawaki's methods as inappropriate to North America's idealized "natural landscapes," because they do not leave enough room for our most important North American "nature area" keystone species: tax dollars, corporate petrochemicals, herbicides, and heavy machinery. For some, it's counter-intuitive, but research has found that even on spare soils in dry climates with a risk of desertification, the tight plantings of the Miyawaki technique lead to rapid establishment with little after-planting care, even where conventional techniques failed with continued Intervention! This goes well with current ecological theory and research, which has found that while we previously believed that competition between plants would impair growth and establishment, in such tight, naturalistic plantings cooperation out-weighs competition and gives the individuals an advantage compared to situations with unnaturally wide plant spacings. (Integrated Hedgerow design by Bill Mollison, for Semi-tropical climate) Moreover, with rapid, dense growth, we humans can begin to reap the rewards of ecosystem services - windbreak, enhanced microclimates, erosion-prevention, water harvest, buffering, wildlife habitat, biodiversity and food (under tight plantings most species will bare "precociously" at an early age) - in a very short order, rather than struggling with establishment for 15 years for a wind-break to finally serve its purpose. With all this, it's no wonder that cutting-edge Permaculture designers like Geoff Lawton have begun to implement Miyawki's research for such applications as forest gardens, ally cropping and, of course, hedgerows. As a very rough guideline, my recommendation for a hedge where production is the main goal is to plant into a 10' wide strip of at least 30' of length (to have much room for diversity) with larger woody perennials at 2'-3', and with smaller woody shrubs and herbaceous perennials filling in the gaps to create approximately 1' spacings. I typically don't plant anything direcly between woody perennials, except perhaps for short-term crops like Jerusalem artichokes, which can provide a big yield in early years, ensure a complete hedge effect in the first season, provide ample biomass for mulch, and then die back as woody perennials establish. For best results, very plants by height, and species, planting main species such as hazelnuts at standard spacings, and filling in the gaps with smaller species. For larger hedgerows and windbreaks, I recommend multiple rows of woody perennials, but still at tight plantings. For hedges where security or animal enclosure is the main goal, I recommend 1' spacings, with a high percentage of thorny species such as hawthorn, blackthorn, or sea buckthorn. Permaculture Design Parameters: With hedgerows being so useful, it's no wonder that many of Mollison's early designs included hedges, shelterbelts, sun-traps and windbreaks. Permaculture 2 is filled with whole sections on these features. In addition to siting the hedgerow to provide as many benefits as possible, one should consider mechanisms to insure adequate water and appropriate drainage. Hedgerows are excellent features on swales or micro-swales. Net and pan design can be used to make watering easy and help plantings be self-watering. We used a system of net and pan along with trench composing swales to make sure that water would flow down our hedgerow, providing adequate water to our young trees during establishment while also keeping water from completely filling planting holes on our very compacted soils with extremely poor drainage. This can be seen in some of the establishment shots in our Hedgerow video. Integration with keyhole gardens and "edible border gardens" are an excellent idea, and common in the English and French gardening traditions. Species selection for Temperate regions For our main woody perennials, we'll need plants that share a few major charactaristics: 1. They can thrive in tight, wild plantings. 2. They are disease and pest resistant. 3. They take well to coppicing, or hard pruning techniques where they are periodically cut back to the ground. Traditional hedge management simplifies pruning and maintains health and productivity. Major species will make up 50-60% of the multi-purpose edible hedge, and include hazelnut, hawthorn, blackthorn or bullaces, sea buckthorn or autumn olive if it is not invasive in your region. Note that European wild plums take to coppicing well, but according to USDA research American species of wild plums do not. Also note that there are some American species of hawthorns that take well to coppicing and are high quality edible fruits, which far surpass the European species. To maximize productivity, these major species should be spaced at essentially orchard spacings, approx 12-15' depending. Support species should fill in the gaps between, still alternating heights when possible. My recommendations for these include: Asian pears, wild pears, rugosa roses, goumi, elderberry, medlar, currants, and brambles. Note that I do not include apples, European pears, or other common culinary fruits, as they are unlikely to be healthy and productive in such conditions. Occasionally I encounter an instance which excepts this rule, but in most cases, I would not expect them to do well in an edible hedge, and are more appropriate to other growing systems. Finally, a great deal of additional plants can add to the productivity and biodiversity of the edible hedge, including: For more information, ideas, and resources on hedgerow culture, visit our previous article on hedgerows Resources NOTE: in the following list, care should be taken to ensure that species are not invasive to your region, are appropriate to your specific sites and soils, and appropriate to "coppicing." 1. Suitable species for Australia, from a Permculture perspective: https://permaculture.com.au/venerating-and-regenerating-hedgerows/ 2. Suitable species for humid tropical climates: https://steemit.com/permaculture/@reville/living-fences-in-indonesia-50-species-to-use-in-the-tropics 3. Hedgerow medicines: http://www.hedgerowmedicine.com/ 4. Hedgerow foraging in UK, applicable to mant temperate climates, http://www.wildfooduk.com/hedgerow-food-guide/ Selected Citations (more research sources appear in text above) 1. Countour Hedgerows increase soil and water health in the tropics: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0167880995010122 2. Incease wildlife and biodiversity, UK: http://www.hedgelink.org.uk/index.php?page=21 2. Hedgerows reduce risk of food contamination: http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=26370 3. Hedges reduce pests and increase pollination.http://calag.ucanr.edu/archive/?article=ca.2017a0020 4. Hedgerows and bocage in France: http://www.polebocage.fr/-Bocage-and-hedgerows-in-France,136-.html 5. Miyawaki technique effective in dry Mediterranean climates: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/226157594_Effectiveness_of_the_Miyawaki_method_in_Mediterranean_forest_restoration_programs reduction in pests, and increase in pollination. 1- 2 1/2'. 1- 2 1/2'.

Creeping Buttercup is a small yellow flower that grows in fields and meadows. It has a long history of use in folk medicine, and recent research has shown impressive benefits. Creeping buttercup is a bit of a controversial weed as 'benefits' don't spring to mind when trying to grow it; it's generally considered a lawn weed that is tough to get rid of. However, if you have a permaculture apartment, you may want to consider growing weeds because they're the easiest to grow indoors, on a balcony/pa

While some people grow determinate tomatoes so that they don’t have to worry about a trellis, anyone who wants to grow an indeterminate variety is going

Restoration Agriculture

Scarlet Runner Beans are in a league all their own in the bean world. They are often grown purely for ornamental reasons, as they are beautifully stunning with their red blooms and climbing vines. How

Our Swale Making workshop/workparty occurred over the weekend and went very well, but you’ll have to wait for the full report. And there’s still a little bit more to be done – we …

The beauty of Lupines are not just in their flowers. http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/potd/lupinus_sp.jpg Common Name: Lupine Scientific Name: Lupinus species Family: Fabaceae (the Legume or Pea family) Edible Lupine seeds being developed in South America.http://www.mosojcausay.org/in/im/Noticia/feria002.jpg Description: Lupines are beautiful wildflowers found almost around the globe. Known primarily for their showy spikes of flowers in blues, purples, reds, yellows, and white, these legumes put nitrogen back into the soil (natural fertilizer), host a number of beneficial insects, can act as a groundcover to protect top soil, and some species even produce edible seeds. A brilliant addition to the home and Forest Garden. European Yellow Lupine (Lupinus luteus) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2b/Illustration_Lupinus_luteus1.jpg/636px-Illustration_Lupinus_luteus1.jpg History: Found almost all over the world, there are likely native or at least naturalized Lupines close to where you live. They have been used as food plants likely for thousands of years. The Romans were fond of the seeds, but have been used by most Mediterranean cultures. The South and North American species were also used by natives there as well. More recently, there has been a growing trend to use Lupines as a cash crop alternative to soy, livestock forage and feed crop, as well as developing a wide variety of ornamental flowering varieties. Trivia: Edible species include Wild or Sundial Lupine (Lupinus perrenis), Seashore Lupine (Lupinus littoralis), Blue Lupine (Lupinus nootkatensis), another Blue Lupine (Lupinus augustifolius), and White Lupine (Lupinus albus), but the best is likely the Pearl Lupine (Lupinus mutabilis). There are larger species in the Lupine genus... the most common large species being the Tree Lupine or Yellow Bush Lupine (Lupinus arboreus) that grows to over 6 feet (2 meters) tall. Lupines are an important larval food for many butterflies and moths. Lupines come in a wide variety of colors. http://www.mest.kr/imgdata/mest_kr/200912/2009122004037665.jpg USING THIS PLANT Primary Uses: Ornamental flowering plant (wildflower) Edible seeds in some species - used as cooked bean substitute, can be roasted then ground into a powder (NOTE: seeds contain a bitter toxin that can easily be leached out by soaking the seeds in water overnight, and up to 3 days) and discarding the soaking water. Some species produce an edible oil from the pressed seeds Secondary Uses: Nitrogen fixing plant (puts nitrogen back into the soil) - inoculated with leguminous bacteria. General insect (especially bees) nectar plant Provides shelter for parasatoid wasps (beneficial wasps that prey on plant pests) Lacewings (beneficial insects) prefer to lay eggs on this plant Dynamic Accumulator (Phosphorus, Nitrogen) Groundcover - space plants about 1 foot (30 centimeters) apart Yield: Not applicable Harvesting: Not applicable Storage: Not applicable Many beneficial insects are attracted to Lupines. http://stevewolf.smugmug.com/Nature/Wildlife/Bee2/506004284_2iHZn-L-2.jpg DESIGNING WITH THIS PLANT USDA Hardiness Zone: 3-9 AHS Heat Zone: No reliable information available Chill Requirement: No reliable information available Plant Type: Small to Medium-sized, Clumping Herbaceous Perennial Leaf Type: Deciduous Forest Garden Use: Herbaceous Layer or Groundcover Layer (depending on the species) Cultivars/Varieties: Many varieties available. Pollination: Self-Pollinating/Self-Fertile - pollinated by bees Flowering: May-July depending on the variety and USDA Zone where it is planted Life Span: No reliable information available, but if conditions are fair to good, Lupines will self-reseed. Harvesting Lupine flowers in Detroit - 1938 http://173.12.230.45/yan523.jpg PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS PLANT Size: 1-4 feet (30-120 centimeters) tall and 1-3 feet (30-90 centimeters) wide Roots: Fibrous network of roots Growth Rate: Medium - Fast Amazing photo of a field of wild Lupines near a church. http://www.photoend.com/data/media/46/Wild%20Lupine%20and%20Church,%20Near%20Hellissandur,%20Snaefellsnes%20Peninsula,%20Iceland.jpg Close-up of Lupine leaves - natural water catchers! https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTBOTtV_I4JSZwt1ZoD4bMYrEW6CVqQYQMcC_Cl3XQBGETKWd9PPmYEmi43UxbfPFGjW2k9kIPSwN2FI3CFOQvdvuyozYlWX9RiS_sor1mJGGQlm0GAvsPpgmq2E038pt6ASRn0nu7Ns/s1600/raindrops+on+lupine.jpg GROWING CONDITIONS FOR THIS PLANT Light: Prefers full sun Shade: Tolerates light shade Moisture: Dry to Medium soils pH: most species prefer acidic to near neutral soil (3.5 - 6.5) Propagation: By seed (needs scarification) or by Spring cuttings of soft, basal growth. Division is reported to be difficult. Maintenance: None Concerns: Poisonous – There are many varieties of lupines that have toxic seeds, and the seeds can become contaminated with a fungus that produces toxins as well. If you are going to eat the seeds, really know what you are doing.

A permaculture swale is a technique for capturing and storing water in a garden. Learn how to build a swale in the home landscape.