0129 Times fraught with peril
Gardeners watch winter freezes and summer droughts come and go and continue gardening, nevertheless. We never know which way the winds will blow, so we adapt. Indications in the world outside our gardens tell us we should prepare for uncertain times ahead. Radishes are reliable. Chard is on our side. However, up ahead our communities will face the outcomes of far-reaching decisions made with spiteful pettiness and callous recklessness… times fraught with peril. So, let’s get ready.
Gardeners preparing for the long haul might want to consider the tenets of permaculture philosophy. A cooperative sustainable agriculture group in Australia called Green Connect sums up the permaculture message this way: “Nature, like human society, is constantly changing. As we absorb the shocks going on in the world, what changes do we need to make that leaves ourselves and our communities better off?”
In the 1970s, Australians Bill Mollison and David Holmgren identified 12 primary principles of the permaculture way of thinking. These guidelines still resonate among folks trying to lay the groundwork for a future of community and natural order, the idea being pay attention to what is going on around you and see what is working well… you can encourage it or you can try to impose your will.
A curiosity is that Mollison eventually adopted very conservative perspectives which points out there are many ways to assess what is happening in the world. For example, I intend to impose my will on a few trees in the woods on the southwest side of my garden. They were shorter 15 years ago when the garden started. I see it as harvesting. Only a selected few will come down, and every part of them will be used. Others get more room. The huckleberries growing nearby will get more sunshine, and so will the shady corner of my garden not used for a couple years. It’s the best I can do with what I’ve been given.
In that vein, two permaculture principles are paying attention to what naturally works in your area plus making good use of what comes your way. Catch rain in a barrel. Plant according to the path of the sun. Practice woodlot management (like me) (if you have woods). Use uninvited native plants in the compost pile or for their natural healing qualities – mullein can be medicinal, you know. Nibble on chickweed and purple dead nettle. All these things are easy and make sense.
Also, don’t waste the efforts of your labors. You have purposefully enriched your soil for years and consequently your crops reward your efforts. Now, what will you do with so many eggplants? Build a community that shares and trades. Learn from your neighbors because no one is above learning.
And no garden is an island. Think of all our gardens as part of a whole. I do what I do, you do your part, and in the end we add it up and that’s what we did. What will be the result of what we did together? Do we have a more sustainable community?
As you plan your garden, try different varieties to see what grows well there. Learn from each season because some seasons are a challenge, and some challenges in life last longer than we wish. Some plants handle inclement challenges better than others, so a diverse population might contribute to a more sustainable long-term gardening community. Also, a variety of vegetables helps us stay healthy. Don’t hide from kale.
Toby Hemenway, in his foreword to Gaia’s Garden, states, “Each garden is a reflection of the potential of place and the intimacy with which the gardener can connect with the needs and latent forces of the land… The world we dream of, sustainable and beautiful, takes shape in the ecological garden.”
Permaculture principles connect your garden with its environment, and they can apply to how we manage the world outside the garden. It’s like being woke with dirty hands and the best intentions.