- Nov 03, 2016
- Nova Nelson
How Permaculture Installations Can Reshape Our Cities & Neighbourhoods
Since digging into permaculture design in 2013, I noticed mundane neglected voids, nooks and corners in my urban setting with a keen eye. You know, empty spaces next to pathways, sidewalks, by culverts, back alleys, roof terraces, behind bus stops, intersections and avenues. Those public and private spaces that could be wonderful and alive but are unproductive and uninspiring. Permaculture has made me reframe the lack of space "problem" as an opportunity. I imagine all these spaces as a collective network of opportunities. Opportunities for fascinating ecological gardens.
1. Small spaces are everywhere.
When I talk to people about growing food in the city, references are made to large roof top gardens and urban farms. While those are important, cities also need small scale ecological interventions that can create impact without the need for a huge shake up to the space.
Do you see the potential?
To explore and demonstrate possibilities I've spent time the past two years working on what I like to call a series of Pocket Permaculture installations. These small installations have manifested as small gardens from petite 3ft by 2ft mini planter systems, making and installing 18 inch self watering pipe planters for edible greens, turning an unused sandpit into a children's garden, creating a hugulkulture mount, keyhole raised bed, balcony gardening, community gardening to creating a stacked sub irrigation planter system in a mall strip.
I want to give others an approach to creating small green spaces that are enriching. Accessible gardens that will connect them to nature and growing food.
2. You'll create an ecosystem and a community.
Nature can do a thousand things. This is why permaculture installations are multidimensional. The best permaculture gardens include a series of interconnected elements designed with careful observation that'll make a landscape fascinating, productive, and ecologically sound. The garden has to be designed to use less water, yield harvest, offer beauty, renew, fertilise and enrich soil and even clean the air and scent it along the way too.
Always with a local context in mind, a permaculture garden is created by bring together various disciplines such as design, urban farming, carpentry, art, cooking, education, science, photography the list goes on. This multidimensional approach helps us work with children and communities in a broader sense. Each installation draws in different individuals, age groups, talent and interests. So, in creating a permaculture garden you also create a wonderful environment for community action. Learn more about how we designed art, science, education, health & nutrition, and urban farming, into the Kebun Rasa Sayang at Boon Lay, Singapore.
An empty lot transformed
3. Natural systems that'll connect you to nature.
Permaculture installations will draw you in. Why? These gardens, however small, are designed to include natural systems and elements. Permaculture design turns to nature for design. It provides lessons on self- resilience and a gentle plea for creative problem solving and collaborating with nature and each other. These ecological gardens are packed with timeless traditional food growing techniques that can be adapted creatively in the context of a city to help us use less resources, store more energy, renew and enrich the environment. These small gardens can be packed with practical solutions beyond sustainability.
Vivid, alive and packed with fruit and edible greens it will give you a place to stop, wonder and celebrate nature. It can connect the young and old, commuters, marginalised communities, neighbourhoods to an ecological garden. It'll share with you the beauty in biodiversity and harvest. It'll give you a space to experience the full life cycle of growing your own food. Permaculture gardens and installations are spaces that works with nature and welcomes you as part of an ecosystem.
4. A backdrop for education, events and engagement.
Vivid and alive with nature, food, art and design Pocket Permaculture installations would be a wonderful idea as a backdrop for events and a gathering space. Because there are plenty of small spaces lying idle around us in the city, these installations can be made accessible to different walks of life. The installation can create a charming neighbourly space filled with opportunities for volunteerism and public activities. Even a space to learn, teach or practice a skill. This is why we will continue to devote our time towards helping others create their own Pocket Permaculture gardens.
Nova Nelson
I’m a Social Entrepreneur, Permaculture Designer, a gardening coach, content creator and educator. I started Cultivate Central as a solo enterprise. It started as a blog about my journey in Permaculture Design. It then evolved and grew into a small social enterprise. Today, I focus on creating regenerative food gardens, developing and delivering educational experiences, championing vermicomposting and building collaborative community programmes with organisations, corporates, developers and schools, with a small but talented team. I’m passionate about helping them embark on a journey of earth care centred on building regenerative food systems and cultures.
How did I find myself doing what I do? Read my story here.
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