Know about Permaculture, rain gardens, suburban forest gardens? - Garden Plants and Gardening Forum

eafinct · 11-24-2007, 04:00 AM

Hi, I am interested in sustainable gardening, not just at the farm level, but at the suburban level. Permaculture is a way of changing your environment to include shade, food, natural pest control and a host of ecological functions. I've found a great site at Midwest Permaculture but wondered if there are any practitioners in this forum? I know that permaculture is a growing movement in Australia!

Midwest Permaculture

Midwest Permaculture

Also intrigued by information about rain gardens, which seems to be a big movement in the upper Midwest (Minnesota and Wisconsin) and also Pennsylvania. I have asked my local park if they can set up a demonstration garden, and they are interested. But can anyone else step up and testify?

Wisconsin DNR - Rain Gardens

Greetings from the garden!

Saturn · 11-30-2007, 12:02 AM

I live in MN and I was not aware of this, Thanks!

lspichkin · 11-30-2007, 09:05 PM

I read a very good book by Michael Pollan called "The Omnivores Delimma" which had a chapter about this farm that practices a kind of permaculture or holistic resource management. I found an excerpt from it here:

Quote:

“Sustainable” is a word you hear a lot from farmers these days, but it’s an ideal that’s honored mostly in the breach. Even organic farmers find themselves buying pricey inputs—cow manure, Chilean nitrate, fish emulsion, biological insect controls—to replace declining fertility of the soil or to manage pest outbreaks. Polyface Farm isn’t even technically organic, yet it is more nearly sustainable than any I’ve visited. Thanks to Salatin’s deft, inter-species management of manure, his land is wholly self-sufficient in nitrogen. Apart from the chicken feed and some mineral supplements he applies to the meadows to replace calcium, Polyface supplies its own needs, year after years.

In any case, the story of Polyface Farm is pretty amazing, and could be an inspiration in your permaculture efforts.

cia007 · 12-02-2007, 08:40 AM

We've got a lot of this in the Pacific Northwest....we work hard to try and keep some of the native plants growing and protect the natural wildlife. I've got sword ferns in my landscape, and cedars, and I do leave some of the native 'weeds' for the birdies...

Here are a few links from PNW

Pacific Northwest | ecological design center
Native Plants and Permaculture: A Gathering of Plant Enthusiasts | Lost Valley
Pacific Northwest Permaculture | Understory (this one has more locations than PNW linked!)

The Future is Abundant

11-24-2007, 04:00 AM	#1
eafinct Green Gardener Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Northeast USA Posts: 2	Know about Permaculture, rain gardens, suburban forest gardens? Hi, I am interested in sustainable gardening, not just at the farm level, but at the suburban level. Permaculture is a way of changing your environment to include shade, food, natural pest control and a host of ecological functions. I've found a great site at Midwest Permaculture but wondered if there are any practitioners in this forum? I know that permaculture is a growing movement in Australia! Midwest Permaculture Midwest Permaculture Also intrigued by information about rain gardens, which seems to be a big movement in the upper Midwest (Minnesota and Wisconsin) and also Pennsylvania. I have asked my local park if they can set up a demonstration garden, and they are interested. But can anyone else step up and testify? Wisconsin DNR - Rain Gardens Greetings from the garden!

11-30-2007, 12:02 AM	#2
Saturn Green Thumb Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: The Great Abyss Posts: 48	I live in MN and I was not aware of this, Thanks! __________________ -l:SATURN:l-

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12-02-2007, 08:40 AM	#4
cia007 Green Thumb Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Olympia, WA Posts: 48	We've got a lot of this in the Pacific Northwest....we work hard to try and keep some of the native plants growing and protect the natural wildlife. I've got sword ferns in my landscape, and cedars, and I do leave some of the native 'weeds' for the birdies... Here are a few links from PNW Pacific Northwest \| ecological design center Native Plants and Permaculture: A Gathering of Plant Enthusiasts \| Lost Valley Pacific Northwest Permaculture \| Understory (this one has more locations than PNW linked!) The Future is Abundant