Theresa's Gardening Goals

When we heal the Earth, we heal ourselves.
 - David Orr

Self-seeding poppies

Garlic harvest, 2010

I am trying to create an edible utopia
in our yard that will:

For Humans:

• provide fresh, organic food that is nourishing and tastes amazing
• is easy maintenance
• provides spaces to relax and interact with Nature 
• doesn’t break the budget
• is beautiful
• nourishes the soul

For Wildlife:

• provide habitat with the necessary elements for wildlife to flourish: food, water, cover, and places to raise young

For Mother Earth:

• is sustainable and ecologically friendly
  
  

Click to see before & after photos of Our Gardens.

How are We Trying to Accomplish this Goal?

• By using permaculture principles to work with Nature, instead of against Her.
• Permaculture (a contraction of permanent & agriculture) is a relatively young science (since around the 1960s) about designing sustainable (self-renewing) human settlements that work as harmoniously as the natural world, yet include humans in the ecosystem.
• It is about designing communities that are self-sufficient because they have interdependent and self-sustaining systems that can provide food, water, and energy for the community.  
• One part of permaculture focuses on creating sustainable food gardens within each home’s yard.

Continue to Permaculture 101.