Work Is Pollution

Everybody's favorite permaculture principle is "Work is pollution." This 32 sq. ft. bed provides lots of healthy yumminess, but 90% of what you see required no sowing or planting this year!

I decided to take the hoops down for now, but they are at the ready in case we get another hail storm. I just hope I'm around and clairvoyant enough to predict hail as opposed to regular rain. Edible plants thrive when they're rained on, but they can get ripped to shreds by hail.

Red or green, the greens in this slightly raised bed are almost ready to harvest, and they sure do look purdy, imho. The culinary thyme (going to seed at top right) and mint (at right) make for a super tasty and totally healthy "dry dressing."

Almost everything in this bed either over wintered or sprouted from plants that we let go to seed. There is one basil and one tomato plant in the bed that we planted this year, but the rest was planted by nature herself (if you don't count the fact that we sowed their parents last year).

Here's a close up of some chard in that bed that went to seed...so the cycle may continue.

Here are some collards going to seed from a plant that never got large enough to eat...not sure why...but maybe its children will grow big and juicy!

Here is some mature chard that's ready for harvest. All of the greens and related wide-leafed plants can act as effective living mulches that shade the soil and protect it from erosion caused by water and wind. They also provide protection and habitat for beneficial insects.

The PermaDesign Weblog, with Nate Downey and Melissa McDonald!

Work Is Pollution

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