Between downpours on Sunday, June 10, we made good progress in the gardens behind the school. (1) We did more planting in our “fruit forest”. This “fruit forest” area is designed to take advantage of nature’s tendency to transition from … Continue reading →
[slideshow id=10] Here it is! Our Permaculture Design for the Blockhouse School property. The final assignment in the PDC course was to come up with a plan for the property that would take into consideration the elements that had been … Continue reading →
Food being integral to permaculture, during the PDC our kitchen was like another classroom where students and volunteers experienced working with and eating food that was sourced as locally as possible, and shared recipes and ideas. Many volunteers from the … Continue reading →
Food for the Permaculture Design Certification Course in May 2012 was sourced as much as possible from local suppliers. The acquiring of much of the fresh food was a way for some members as well as other local growers and … Continue reading →
The previous day’s discussion of ponds in the landscape segued easily into looking at what can be grown in them. Many of us got rather inspired by the idea of raising multiple species of fish and plants in a pond. … Continue reading →
Permaculture is labour-intensive in the beginning, but saves work in later years. By moving the earth around a bit according to a well-designed plan, we can control the elements somewhat – water, wind, sun, frost – so that they make … Continue reading →
Apologies, Gentle Reader. With the end of the course coming up, I’ve been staying later at the school to work on the final assignment which we’re doing in small groups: to create an overall design concept for the Blockhouse School … Continue reading →
It has been a very long time since I tried gardening (unsuccessfully, except for monster zucchini around the outdoor shower) in a hot, dry climate, so the material in this section didn’t “sink in” as well as that of the … Continue reading →
This is our climate type, but it’s useful to understand how it is distinct from other climates, such as tropical climates and hot, dry climates, so that we can appreciate the benefits and particular challenges it presents. Humid cool/cold climates … Continue reading →
“The Nation that destroys its soil destroys itself.” (Franklin Delano Roosevelt) Soil is alive. Dirt is dead. It’s a viscous spiral that starts with tilling and ends with dead dirt, eroded land and polluted waterways. A teaspoon of healthy soil contains billions … Continue reading →
A stunning relationship between forests and rainfall: trees add 50-75% to the total precipitation in the world. Moisture moves inland from the ocean only about 100 km. If it weren’t for the forests, the rest of the land would be … Continue reading →
Here are details for the “Implementation Week” workshops that will be offered by Graham Calder of P3 Permaculture Design at the Blockhouse School Project during the week of May 28 to June 1, 2012. The Wednesday, Thursday and Friday sessions are open … Continue reading →
