A permaculture garden is a type of sustainable and regenerative garden or agriculture system that creates lasting and productive systems, bolstered by the patterns found in natural ecosystems. The term “permaculture” is derived from “permanent agriculture” and “permanent culture,” emphasizing its focus on creating long-lasting, highly efficient, self-regenerating ecosystems that benefit both humans and the environment.

 

In a permaculture garden, the main goal is to create a harmonious and resilient ecosystem where plants, animals, and humans relate to the natural environment in a way that supports the inherent value of all living things, while producing an abundance of food, medicine, and habitat.A well-designed permaculture garden protects biodiversity; grows food, medicine, and pollinator habitat; builds soil, and restores the water cycle. Every garden, no matter the size, can have a positive impact. Permaculture gardening goes beyond conventional gardening practices by considering the entire ecosystem and incorporating ecological principles to harness sustainability, health, and productivity.

 

Key characteristics and principles of a permaculture garden include:

1. Biodiversity: Permaculture encourages the cultivation of a wide variety of plants and animals. By promoting biodiversity and choosing native plants and useful plants, a garden becomes more resilient to pests, diseases, and environmental changes.
2. Water Management: Managing water as a resource by allowing it to slow, sink and spread is the foundation of any permaculture garden. Through the use of water management design and techniques like raingardens, rainwater harvesting, and swales, water can dance through your land and replenish soil moisture, eliminating the need for conventional watering. 
3. Polyculture Plant Communities: Instead of monoculture (growing a single crop), permaculture favors polyculture, where multiple plant species are grown together in the same space. Certain plants are strategically paired together based on their symbiotic relationships. For instance, nitrogen-fixing plants like legumes are often grown alongside plants that require more nitrogen like tomatoes to enrich the soil naturally – in the garden plants will flourish naturally. 
4. Closed-loop Systems: Minimizing waste and maximizing resources is a key characteristic of a permaculture garden. For example, kitchen scraps become compost, which nourishes the soil and minimizes food waste to landfills.
5. Natural Patterns: By mimicking patterns found in nature, a permaculture garden will start to become a more productive space. Taking cues from the ecological intelligence that exists right all around us can help permaculture gardeners to work like nature for nature, building a truly sustainable garden along the way. 
6. Perennials: Perennials, which have a never ending cycle of growth and rebirth are a permaculture garden favorite because they require less management once established and contribute biomass, habitat, and food for pollinators year after year.
7. Beneficial Habitats: Creating habitats for beneficial insects, birds, and other wildlife is essential to promote natural pest control and balance within the garden. By striving to find balance within your garden, you can eliminate the need for synthetic chemicals, pesticides, and herbicides.
8. Energy Efficiency: The design of a permaculture garden takes into account energy efficiency and minimizes human effort by incorporating self-maintaining systems. For example, using fallen leaves to create mulch in the cooler months can capture the energy of the leaves, while sheet mulching can reduce waste and build soil. 

 

Overall, a permaculture garden strives to create a sustainable, harmonious, and productive ecosystem that works in unison with the laws of nature. It encourages responsible stewardship of the land while providing abundant yields and numerous environmental and social benefits. Moreover, we believe that anyone can tend to and benefit from a permaculture garden. Once we enter into a relationship with our gardens and understand the sacred reciprocity of the land and our role in it, we can build lasting and healthy gardens that contribute to the Earth’s return to health.