Practical Permaculture Course 

5 days 

Who is this course for?

This course can be separated and delivered for students who want to create food gardens & for subsistence farmers.

Objectives 

This introductory course provides students with an outline and understanding of Permaculture environmental design for positive on‐the‐ground land solutions combined with an introduction to practical application.

​

Students Gain a basic understanding and can start to apply the practice of permaculture to move forward and start to create sustainable change.

Outcomes 

Student will gain a core understanding of the principles of Permaculture systems and design. Participants will gain the confidence to work and start to think about and apply design solutions for gardens or small farms.

They will explore basic practical techniques and strategies and be able to apply Permaculture techniques and strategies to the landscapes they are working with.

Topics

What is Permaculture

​

• Permaculture defined and its use

• History of permaculture

• Design philosophy

• The ethical bases of permaculture

• Permaculture in landscape and society

Methods of Design- Introduction

​

• Design analysis of elements

• Reading the landscape – observation

• Zone and sector analysis

The Cultivated Ecology -Zone 1 

​

• Permaculture kitchen garden design

• Garden to plate

• Needs analysis

• Sun angles-aspect

• Garden planning and layout

How Plants Grow

​

• Plant nutrients

• What elements do plants need

• Seasonal planting & planning

How to Prepare the Soil – healthy soil -healthy plants

​

• Measuring soil pH

• Water absorption test

• Types of soil

• Building a healthy soil food web

• Maintain a healthy soil

• No dig gardens

Home Composting and Worm Farms

​

• Why what and how to compost

• Hot and cold composting

• How to use compost

Sustainable Site Maintenance  

• Integrated pest management                          

• Natural target pruning

Plant Propagation

• Growing seeds

• Saving seed

• How to take cuttings

Contact us for information on booking this course

The Concepts and Themes in Design

​

• Evidence to act-why permaculture

• Tools of design, the ethics and principles of permaculture

Patterns in Permaculture- Introduction

​

• Patterns in nature

• Pattern application and design for home gardens

Introduction to Food Forest

•  Zone 2- Food Forest

• Planting fruit trees

Trees  

• Zone 3 - Cash crops and larger animals design and layout systems

• Zone 4 – Sustainable forestry

• Zone 5 – Natural ecologies

Water Harvesting

​

• How much water does my garden need?

• When to and how-to water

• Water in the landscape & small earthworks

Designing Productive Landscapes    

• Holistic decision-making framework

•  Zone 0- the self needs analysis

• Needs of people and landscape

Design Work

• Landscape design practical

Where to from here

​

• Self-learning resources

• Local networking

• Community co-operation, not competition