Permaculture In a Midwest Garden and Yard

Reader Contribution by Melodie Metje
Published on June 20, 2014

Interplanted garden bed with southern exposure

You may have heard something about permaculture. The book Gaia’s Garden brought this type of gardening to many. What is it and can I apply the principles in my garden and yard?

How Permaculture Works

Permaculture is creating a synergistic garden; one that is symbiotic and supporting. It includes enriching the soil, planting for nutrients, planting for shade, planting for food, landscaping for water, planting to attract beneficial insects, planting to repel bad bugs, planting to optimize your harvests. It is all of this combined to create a self sustaining garden and yard.

You can go big and do it all or start small and work your way into a full permaculture yard.

If you are just getting started, the first step is planning. For planning, I would join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) to find out what grows well in your area and what you like to eat that can be grown locally. You will get fresh nutritious food while supporting your local farmer. It was amazing how well we ate and how small our grocery bill was when we first joined a CSA! We also discovered many vegetables that we loved but had never eaten.

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