Observation.
Mimicking natural systems.
These are two easy and fun to use permaculture design principles.
The other day I happened upon a tightly packed collection of trees, shrubs, perennials, and groundcovers in a nearby front yard (see the photo below). I was immediately struck by the densely layered, or “stacked” architecture of this little island of mixed plants, and my imagination quickly translated what I was seeing into an edible design –
Squint your eyes and you might almost see a hazelnut, Asian pear, and cherry tree forming the overarching canopy, with raspberries, an eleagnus or two (aka goumi berry), and Saskatoon berries or blueberries poking out around the margins. Various mints and red clover cover the ground in between, and give way to a carpet of daylilies, rhubarb, and strawberries around the further edges.
Perhaps a strip of garden bed growing kale, lettuces, beans, and potatoes, with chives and thyme at either end enjoys the full sun exposure at the south edge of the canopy.
Native huckleberries and salal show up uninvited in a year or two, staking their own claim to this former rainforest, and you decide to let them be, allowing them their age-old rightful place.
Imagine also friends coming by to visit, and then leaving with armfuls of plants – strawberry, raspberry, mint and more – that have wandered and multiplied of their own accord.
If you start to look closely at the plant communities around you, you’ll see food forest garden inspiration, ideas, and models everywhere.