What is this thing called "Permaculture"?

Recently I've been seeing and hearing about something called "Permaculture". It's one of those things that you think you know but, if you're asked, you're not able to really describe. So, being a Master Gardener with a love for googling (is that a word?), I've done my research focusing on edu websites.

Permaculture = permanent + agriculture. Simple enough, right? But I still don't know why permaculture is different than any established farm or my yard with the perennial plants I've been growing for ten+ years. More research is needed...

Quoting the University of Massachusetts Permaculture Initiative: "to design sustainable human settlements based on ecological principles that restore and renew natural systems" - in much simpler words, have a lifestyle based on simplicity, balance and a respect for the world around us.

25 Acre Permaculture Design by Andrew Millison, OSU

Mahatma Gandhi espoused a belief that, in part, spoke of self-reliance as an important part of freeing people from dependence on large-scale consumerism.  The India of Gandhi's time (1920 - 1948) was a colony dependent upon the British Empire and its culture. He believed many small steps, such as wearing locally produced clothing, would loosen the bonds that kept the people in poverty. He didn't use the words, but he was talking about living in a sustainable, independent India and is often remembered for the words: "You must be the change you expect to see in the world."

Permaculture wraps into a sustainable lifestyle, a strategy for keeping your impact on the earth at net zero: aim to replace what you take. "Sustainable gardening" isn't a new term but is just becoming a popular idea with home gardeners: the right plant in the right place, use native materials, conserve resources.

We've all lived with high maintenance things: haircuts, relatives, cars, plants. The kind of thing that takes so much time and energy that you sometimes dream of eliminating it from your life. Roses come immediately to my mind - so much trimming, feeding, treating, tying up and protecting that you almost neglect the rest of the garden just to end up with a couple dozen exquisite blooms.

But a Rugosa Rose is a tough little plant that will bloom almost in spite of mistreatment.  It's not as showy and as fragrant as its more famous relatives but I like a plant that treats me as well as I treat it.

Many folks who raise chickens for the eggs have realized how efficient it is to use a portable chicken house: move the chicken house (and attached 'yard') to a new area periodically and you've got some of the best weed and insect-eating machines at your command.  AND they fertilize with fantastic manure, ready to be turned into the soil when they move to a new location.

OSU Corvallis,, Oregon

So if I apply the principles of Permaculture to my yard, I'll be designing with more native plants, looking for dought-tolerant species, planning a veggie garden that makes the most of the location (enough sun and warm temperatures), growing only plants that don't require massive amounts of fertilizer or pesticides and using local materials whenever possible.

If we all work toward a Sustainable World, we can hope that our great-great-grandchildren will live in a world of clean air, abundant water and healthy food.

For more information, check out these links: http://www.umass.edu/sustainability/get-involved/permaculture-initiative
http://permacultureprinciples.com/
http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=13190