Angels in My Garden   Week #31   August 10, 2010

Hello Fellow Gardeners,

I'm going to take a divergence from the usual format this week. I started taking a course in Permaculture last week and would like to share with you a little information about permaculture and the reasons for making this decision. The quote above probably says it all. In other words, I want to see the possibilities.

Permaculture means “permanent agriculture.” or “permanent culture.” The definition is: Any system of sustainable agriculture that renews natural resources and enriches local ecosystems; The design, installation and maintenance of indefinitely sustainable human communities set in balanced ecologies, both urban and rural.

The term "permaculture" was coined by Bill Mollison, an Australian naturalist who developed the system with his student, David Holmgrem. Permaculture is completely compatible with biodynamic gardening. It encompasses not just the landscape where food is produced, but the economic and social structures of permanent communities. Energy efficient buildings, land stewardship, recycling, and waste water treatment are essential elements of permaculture. A permaculture garden can be many things including an edible landscape, a wildlife garden and a sanctuary for native plants. The important feature of any element in a permaculture system is that it serves as many purposes as possible. For example, an apple tree can serve as food, as a cash crop, as shade for humans and animals, as a source of compost and mulch, etc.

In my introduction to permaculture thus far, I've been amazed at the level of sustainability that students and practioners of this system have achieved. There is so much we can do as individuals, families and communities to attain a state of cooperation and partnership with the earth and the other living things in our environment. The spiritual component of permaculture is the realization of our oneness with all of those living things.

I remember as a student learning about the three major conflicts in fiction: man versus man, man versus nature and man versus himself. Maybe at some point in our development the stories we write will revolve around the themes of man united with man, man united with nature and man in harmony with himself. Permaculture seems like a giant step in that direction. It awakens all kinds of possibilities.

Reflection:
“One might ask if it is not natural to attain spirituality. Does it not come without any effort on our part? And if it is not natural, then what is the use of attaining spirituality? The answer is that spirituality is not only for human beings but also for the lower creation, for every being; not spirituality in the sense in which we usually understand it, but in the sense of being tuned to one’s natural pitch. Even birds have their moments of exaltation. At the setting or the rising of the sun, the breaking of dawn, in moonlight, there come times when birds and animals feel exalted. They sing and dance and sit on the branches of the trees in exaltation. Every day they feel this exquisite joy. And if we go still further, if we have eyes to see life in those forms in which others do not see it, in the rock or the tree, we find that there are times when even the trees are in a complete state of ecstasy. Those who live naturally, who open the doors of their hearts, whose souls are in contact with nature, find nature singing, dancing, communicating.” 
                                                 Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan

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