Before beginning any permaculture designs, I’ve taken into account what sustainability set up I am looking for. I’ve gone through my family’s lifestyle patterns and made a list of what we do, eat and need. I’m sure if you take a close look at your own lifestyle you’ll find patterns in the form of habits, diet and hobbies. These will need to be taken into consideration when planning your permaculture design.
For instance, there’s no use planting a vegetable patch on the side of your house, if you love boating and in the future plan to buy a boat and house it in that spot. Nor should you run out and buy cabbage seedlings to plant if you hardly ever use cabbage in cooking and the rest of your family loathes it.
Now, consider your habits and those of your family, and how they can affect your set up. An example is my friend. She found a large wheelbarrow at the dump, took it home, fixed it and positioned it in the ideal spot just below her back verandah. The place received the morning sun and was protected from any draughts. She then filled the wheelbarrow with compost and made a beautiful little garden of lettuce, french parsley, and some other herbs. When she showed her husband what she had done, he was impressed – only problem was, the spot she’d unknowingly chosen was the same one he used early in the mornings to sit and read the paper before going in to wake the family. It was his ‘time out’ spot.
And then there’s my Mum and Dad who set up a large vegetable and herb patch in their back garden, only to have their female dog dig up the vegies, and the male dog lift his leg on everything. They considered fencing, but as the female dog is a good jumper, they’d need 6-foot fences and that just seemed ridiculous. Mum said she wished she’d thought of it before she and Dad had put in all of that hard work. The solution turned out to be potted vegetables and herbs in a side courtyard that is closed off to the dogs.
So make sure you consider everything in your lifestyle… even the pets… and see how you can become more sustainable in respect to them.
Our Habits and Hobbies:
- Wildlife Rehabilitation – we need easy access to the aviaries and a clear view to them from the back window
- Having friends over for a meal and sitting on our back verandah – so it would be good to have that area not only serve a practical function, but look nice as well
- Our Duck from Hell has a habit of eating everything he can – so I must be able to block off certain areas of the garden until plants are established
Our Main Diet:
- Pasta (including Vegetable Ravioli)
- Potato Gnocchi (yummmmmmmmmmm)
- Tacos with Tofu filling or Refried Bean mix
- Tortillas with Chickpea Mix and Taco Sauce
- Potato Chips and Salsa
- Baked Potatoes with Butter and Dill
- Vegetable Stew with Dumplings
- Baked Vegetables
- Salad Sandwiches
- Vegetable Kebabs
- Vegie Burgers
- Vegetable Pies
- Vegetarian Pizza
- Sweet Potato
- Carrots
- Tomatoes
- Onion
- Spring Onion
- Garlic
- Capsicum
- Eggplant
- Olives
- Avocados
- Lettuce
- Mushrooms
- Herbs including: Basil, Coriandar, Thyme, Oregano, Cumin, Marjoram, Parsley, Sage
- Ginger
- Rocket
- Broccoli
- Bok Choy
- Zucchini
- Corn
- Spinach
- Sun Dried Tomatoes
- Cucumber
- Strawberries
- Mangoes
- Manderines
- Bananas
- Grapes
- Oranges
- Watermelon
- Passionfruit
- Oils – Olive Oil and Grapeseed Oil
- Spreads – Peanut Butter, Honey and Mustards
- Sauces – Tomato Sauce, BBQ Sauce, Sweet Chilli and Soy Sauce
- Cheese
Our Pets Diets:
- Corn
- Snow Peas
- Peas
- Celery
- Seeds such as: Sunflower Seeds, Milo, Safflower Seeds, Millet, and Wheat
- Marshmallow and Burdock (to make a tea from the roots for our old dog who had Cushings Disease, but is doing well with Natural Remedies)
Now, the brain-storming begins: What things can I do to become more self-sufficient in regards to this list? What am I prepared to plant in my garden to fulfill these needs? What am I prepared to make – or do I still rely on buying certain produce? eg. pasta.