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Land and nature stewardship
Using a permaculture approach to design and grow a garden or orchard can realise a functioning ecological system, composed of many parts, each contributing to the overall stablility, health and resilience of the whole. This results in a community of plants and fauna in dynamic equilibrium.
Growing food is a great way to interact with the earth and share the return with others. There are many techniques for gardening, but permaculture is clear about using organic approaches and increasing biological diversity. By building soil diversity and fertility naturally, the results are increased natural stability, improved productivity and resilience. By taking this approach any dependency on synthetic, and often toxic regulators or additives is removed. The role of fruit and nut trees in offering early bee fodder is an important reason for their inclusion in wildlife corridors and green infrastructure for they are multiple providers of ecosystem services valuable to us all. Fruit and nut trees have become popular again for garden and landscape designers, not only for their beautiful blossoms and pollen, but also for the delicious local food they provide. Renewed concern for the environment, combined with the effects of economic recession have also resulted in people, groups and communities growing food in wildlife friendly ways. The rise of community gardening has seen many orchards being planted in public spaces, including in vacant plots, parks, on allotment sites and in school grounds.
Bio-intensive gardening uses no-dig raised beds, organic and biodynamic growing techniques and successional cropping to produce the maximum crop yield from the smallest space.
Forest gardens are food-producing and seek to emulate natural woodland ecosystems as closely as possible.
Derived from the German word 'hügelkultur', the literal translation for a hügel mound is "hill culture".
Organic gardening is the growing of food without the use of refined chemical fertilisers or pesticides.
Polycultures are two or more useful plants grown on the same plot, usually at the same time. From an ecological perspective, they try to mimic natural cycles.
In small scale horticulture, a highly effective technique is the creation of permanent growing beds separated by access paths. Raised garden beds are great for growing small plots of vegetables and flowers.
Farmers need to have many skills to manage both the soil and the homestead.
Redesigning a garden enables change from an unsustainable existing system to a more sustainable one.
Perennials flower and fruit more than once and are often productive over many years, requiring less cultivation after initial planting than annuals.