Garden Landscape

We are all reaching the same conclusions… “The fruit in the supermarket is not tasty”… “It’s difficult to sleep well with air-conditioning”… “I spend a fortune in the garden just to keep it green and water it”…

Now that we have all realised we are doing something wrong we can ask ourselves, what is permacullture and what can it do for us? Permaculture is a method of designing a sustainable environment. This normally translates into saving money and being healthier. It can be applied to exterior spaces and also to buildings. (It is fascinating to understand why we can feel so uncomfortable in such wonderful buildings.)

Here are some tips to help you change your garden, and not only make it more sustainable but also healthier.

Change your regular chlorine swimming pool into one with a saltwater cycle. Chlorine is a highly contaminating element, so we are not only looking after our planet but also after our skin. Changing is very easy and affordable.

You should ask yourself if it would be possible to collect rainwater from your garden and roofs and use it for irrigation.

How about installing a sun panel for the pump that your watering system uses for irrigation.

Are you throwing away all your garden cuttings instead of composting them? Our gardens on the Coast are all lacking in organic material and, if you put good bedding in your flowerbeds, you will avoid evaporation and the plants will grow faster and healthier.

Do you have fruit trees and herbs? With this amazing weather we have on the Coast there is no reason to not have at least the basic plants and fruit trees we regularly eat. If you already have some but they are not growing or producing quality fruit, call a professional to determine the problem. Normally the soil is poor from the use of chemicals and erosion or your irrigation system is not appropriate.

Could you heat your water with a solar system? There are many on the market and they are also very affordable.

I have only pointed out here a few of the changes you can make but you will be amazed at the immense possibilities you have once you start.

Adarve Garden Design Studio
Tel. (+34) 652 426 851
www.beatriceperlac.com

By Beatrice S. De Perlac