Ive just got back from a great weekend at the Dunhill Eco-Park, Ballyphilip, Co. Waterford, where I gave an Introduction to Permaculture course.
The course was organised by Environment officer Samantha Richardson, and as well as gaining an introduction to permaculture, and the basics of forest garden design, the group of 14 students created the first part of what is to be a permaculture Community Garden at the Centre.
Before…
and after
keyhole paths and mulched beds planted with herbs, shrubs and fruit trees and bushes
The participants included members of the burgeoming Transition Towns Tramore who have asked me back for a talk on Forest Gardens and perennial agriculture, provisionally for the 21st November.
Many thanks to Samantha and Paul for their hospitality, and full power to Samantha for her commitment to the permaculture concept in the garden;
and thanks to all the course participants for their interest and hard work and all their contributions to the course.
As a participant I’d like to add that the course was thought provoking and inspirational. I immediately went out into my own garden and looked at it afresh planning new plant guilds, and removing/moving a tree. Newspapers have a new mulching function from now on – so I won’t feel so guilty about their purchase. Also I mentioned the Fonfoli chimps in context of possible mammal evolution existing on the edges today. Here’s a link about the National Geographic study : http://johnhawks.net/weblog/reviews/chimpanzees/comparison/fongoli-roach-ng-article-2008.html. If we need any futher motivation to improved our planting around water, this link is about the 20 dead ocean zones around Ireland: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/0901/1220180159098.html.
Thanks again for a very interesting and enjoyable course, I am re-invigorated to go out and maximise my tiny patch, and to examine the links between permacuture and ecology. A few additional resources that people might be interested in: ‘Atlas of the Irish Rural Landscape’ (Aalen, Whelan & Stout 1997, Cork University Press) – a bit expensive but a great overview of the landscape history of Ireland. Might be in your local library. ‘The Irish Landscape’ (Frank Mitchell 1976, Collins). Out of print but if you come across it, this is the classic text on the Irish landscape. If you are starting with a new site or looking at your site in a new way, the following could help you see what existing habitats you have, text online on the Heritage Council website: http://www.heritagecouncil.ie/publications/habitats/index.html For anyone interested in the invasive species debate, the following link is the current clearing-house for invasives in Ireland: http://www.invasivespeciesireland.com/ And finally, I would re-iterate that we should avoid using peat-based compost – not only are bogs important for biodiversity, they are important carbon sinks. More info: http://www.ipcc.ie/