Australian Permaculture. More than just organic gardening

A Permaculture garden in the dusty Outback
Overview

Overview

Outback Garden 1

Outback Garden 2

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Over three years we gradually changed the garden. Conventional landscaping gave way to Permaculture Design.

Living in Mount Isa, we established our garden in the middle of the dry and dusty Outback almost one thousand kilometres away from the coast.

At the beginning it was the usual type of garden with large areas of lawn. In the Outback climate this didn't work too well. High amounts of water and fertilizer were needed to keep it going.

Siteplan "Before Permaculture"

Permaculture Design, a different approach

The change from very conventional landscaping to a permaculture design took place over a period of about three years. We read extensively about permaculture, visited some permaculture places and Silke completed her Permaculture Design Certificate. Permaculture gardens have the reputation to look untidy and unattractive. Mainly because of this we made a point to create a garden that looked orderly and tidy, too. Another important issue for us was to involve our children as much as possible, so they would grow up having experienced living with the ethics and principles of permaculture.

Siteplan "With Permaculture"

Advantages of our Permaculture Garden:
The new garden was designed to be a part of the natural environment. It was suited to our geographical area and it did not require high inputs. Ponds created a humid microclimate together with the trees and shrubs around them. Plants that needed moisture grew well around the ponds. Ducks and chickens created fertilizer, kept weeds down and took care of the pests. Water was used economically in the herb spiral and in the banana circle. Plants grew in guilds and in this way were protected better against unwanted insects. Our house was now surrounded by a beautiful natural area giving us tranquility and providing us with food..

Permaculture Gardens are a great place for children! Our children came up with lots of great ideas for the garden. They were part of it all and learned to live with the Earth from a young age.

Outback Garden -1-