In the previous article, Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Permaculture, Kat introduces us to permaculture, what it means, and how it came about. You may be wondering how this ethical design system may apply to real life on the emerald coast.
Kat and I recently had the pleasure of completing a permaculture design for two very dear friends and local Seagrove residents. The first step in the process of developing such a design is to determine the needs of the clients, the challenges of the overall design, and the existing elements. Like a good therapy session, this can be a wonderfully cathartic process both for the client and the designer, as bits and pieces are revealed about personal lifestyle, property use, and the subtle nuances of the family dynamic.
After walking the property and talking with the family members, we determine that drainage, soil building, aesthetics, energy independence, and food production are some of the needs and wants of this family. Challenges include organization, limited time and space, and a property with copious amounts of sand. Fortunately, this couple has many elements to work with including existing building materials, established plants, irrigation, and a sunny yard.
After this information gathering process, we assemble the pieces into a cohesive plan that is often broken down into manageable phases. The beginning phase typically includes site preparation and addresses the most urgent need. The subsequent phases add the remaining elements like water catchment, renewable energy, composting, and aquaculture, just to name a few.
Being highly attuned to the global converging challenges we face, this particular couple rapidly began to implement the plan. The first order of business was a trip to Just Fruits and Exotics Nursery for a healthy dose of edible fruit trees. Second came the installation of a new walkway to guide guests toward the front entry, through the grapevine-adorned arbor. The next order of business was to remove a pine tree to allow more sunlight to reach the kitchen garden. The tree was then efficiently re-used to create a mini-retaining wall. Digging swales and positioning the newly purchased fruit trees quickly followed. An herb spiral for which Fibonacci would have been proud was fashioned from salvaged bricks by the inspired youngsters of the household. Next came the composting, bug eating, earth turning, yard-bird human companions.
On and on, the plan that was a simple 24”x36”, black and white sketch is springing to life with adaptations and improvements here and there. Each visit to the site reveals a new aspect of the plan completed or near completion, one small step closer to realizing a dream of becoming more self and community sufficient. A permaculture design aims to foster our once thriving pioneering spirit, in hopes that we may rediscover an old way with a new twist for how we ethically inhabit this land.