The PermaDesign Weblog, with Nate Downey and Melissa McDonald!
Archives from May 2014
Compost for Better Soil and Less Landfill
I’ve added a link to another article I did in Edibles magazine about composting, because it is always a good time to start or maintenain a compost pile. Composting is a great way of reducing landfill space and amending the soil we have.
http://ediblesantafe.com/harvest/edible-gardening/compost-this/
05/07/2014 | (0) Comments
Vote for Wood Gormley!
Hi folks,
Please consider taking a moment to vote for the Wood Gormley Garden Project. This is a garden which Nate and I have helped out on and our kids attend the school. To support the school's efforts, log onto http://www.givegrandenm.org locate Wood Gormley on the list and donate. If you’d like, pass the link on to family and friends to help Wood Gormley raise the most money possible. Your support is appreciated!
05/06/2014 | (0) Comments
Learning the Benefits of Guilds
Going through our recent unpredictable seasons of frost reminded me of an article I did on how to create a fruit-tree guild. Creating this kind of network of plants has many benefits including some frost protection. This first ran in the summer 2011 issue of Edibles magazine.
05/05/2014 | (0) Comments
A Walkway Through a Meadow
Here’s a Sharon Cohoon article from Sunset about some of our work. It is a design of a walkway that uses plants that will work well in a low water environment while guiding guests along the path near some fruit trees.
Photograph by Charles Mann
05/04/2014 | (0) Comments
Considering a Second Edition…
If you have thoughts or ideas that you think I should include in the next edition of my book “Harvest the Rain” send me an email at nate@permadesign.com. I'm not saying I'm starting to write an updated version, but I'm always collecting concepts that will come in handy someday. Here's a nice blurb that ran in Sunset Magazine back when the first edition came out.
05/03/2014 | (0) Comments
Using a Protected Environment to Facilitate a Microclimate
Heading in to this typically dry and windy time of year I wanted to repost this article from Sunset Magazine that featured some work we did back in 2007. The article is about using areas of a property that are conducive to the creation of microclimates. These protected areas make a more friendly environment to humans, plants, and animals alike.
http://www.sunset.com/garden/landscaping-design/design-butterfly-friendly-canyon-00400000015449/
Photo:
Thomas J. Story
05/02/2014 | (0) Comments
AVOID THE WATER POLICE… AND BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR
It is important to realize that any water municipality has many factors that determines it’s water delivery schedule. One very important factor here in the Southwest is peak water use. This can be defined by the hour, day and month that the greatest water demand is needed. This is very important in the Southwest because our water supplies are very limited. So while a city may have enough water to service all of its customers, it may not have it at the right time. Be a good neighbor and share our shortage!
05/02/2014 | (0) Comments
