Feed the soil for the plants.
A garden can become depleted in minerals and vital nutrients, keeping the soil fed and healthy, will replenish these and allow them to be taken up by plants.
Remineralisation. Our soils are seriously depleted, it is worth looking at products that remineralise the soil to increase its health and vitality, which can then made available in our food.
This is a precious and vital resource, not to be wasted.
Water butts. Water harvesting by the use of water buts from any available building will help with the health of your garden and with management of this precious resource. Link up as many as you feasibly can to catch water to use in your garden and pond, (using tap water in a pond will kill many vital microorganisms and affect its health and balance).
The general rule in an organic garden is to encourage balance and biodiversity. Refraining from using non- organic pesticides or herbicides, immediately helps the insect population to right itself. Planting companion and attractant plants, and creating helpful habitats such as ponds and wild areas will encourage beneficial predators amazingly quickly.
Looking after the soil is one of the first principles in organic gardening. There are the same amounts of micro organisms in a tea spoon of soil as the number of people of the world (6-7 billion). They all have vital jobs to do to keep the soil healthy and functioning to support our plant populations and it is our job as gardeners to look after our soil.
A good permaculture design will look at the garden, its soil, wildlife, vegetation, aspects, users and their requirements amongst other things, and create a list of themes and elements required, then by looking at beneficial relationships between elements, and using good zoning techniques amongst others, create a design most suited to the needs of the group and garden.
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