Note: For 2021, our focus will be on producing and providing the Gardening Essentials course. We look forward to offering more Permaculture Design courses in the future.
A tree is deeply connected to its surroundings, a dynamic element embedded in and reacting to an equally dynamic landscape.
Trees give us food, firewood, timber, weather protection, security, insect and animal habitat and fodder, shelter, shade, beauty, fun, elements for making soil, improved air quality, new microclimates and stabilization of the biosphere. Whew! How can all this be well integrated into a property design?
We’ll discuss the functions of trees and choosing trees successfully. How to position and plant a tree. What do trees need at different ages? To prune or to train? Growing from seed or root stocks, grafting and propagation. What are the best fruit tree varieties for the BOP? Herbal ley and guilds. Integration with animals. Appropriate tools. Recognize, prevent and treat disease and parasitic invasions. Introduction to food forest design and management; firewood and timber groves, hedgerows and shelter belts.
Tutors
Gisella Warmenhoven & Catherine Dunton-McLeod
Photos
Living Soils →
Feedback
“I’ve never understood before today how a food forest would actually work. Now I get it!”
“A day of good explanation, demonstrations and the pruning workshop topped it off.”
“I was shocked to hear that “a tree in the wrong place is a weed.” Ouch! I am still thinking about this. I cringe that it might be correct. And if that is true, I’ve got a lot of weeds. Drat!”
“The content was excellent and the notes easy to follow. There was a good balance of being inside and outside. The presenters style was relaxed and she stayed to the point. Generally I thought the day went well and made making an orchard design much clearer.”
“We’ve got so much wind to contend with at our place. I’ve been wanting to know more about shelter belts and alternates to straight lines of Cryptomeria. Todays shelter belt talk gave me all sorts of new ideas.”