Introductory Workshop on Permaculture Gardens

  Put in a

PERMACULTURE GARDEN!

Control storm water run-off & grow your own food

 Come to our free

 Introductory Workshop

 July 10, 2010, from 9:30 to 11:30am

Christus Victor Lutheran Church

9833 Harford Road, Baltimore, MD 21234

RSVP by calling 410-357-9523 or emailing education@heathcote.org

A Permaculture garden is a landscape designed with edible and native plants in beneficial relationships, replicating a natural ecosystem.  It can be as orderly or as free-form as you like.  Each tree and plant in a Permaculture garden is located where its needs are best met so that it will be productive.  Rainwater is collected from sloped yards, rooftops and impervious surfaces in swales and rain gardens to irrigate useful plants and absorb excess stormwater.  A Permaculture garden uses polycultures, guilds and forest garden techniques to attract beneficial insects and repel pests, fix nitrogen and draw minerals up from deep in the soil.

Permaculture gardens have many benefits including:

Beautify your yard ! Enjoy an “Edible Landscape,” planted with blossoming dwarf fruit and nut trees, luscious berries, colorful vegetables, fragrant herbs and beautiful flowers.

Produce your own food !  Enjoy a bounty of seasonal produce.

Recycle rain water!  Permaculture gardens capture, filter and absorb stormwater, replenishing the water table and reducing your municipal water needs!  This also protects local streams and the Bay.

Reduce maintenance !  An established Permaculture garden is mulched to suppress weeds and retain moisture.  You can manufacture your own organic fertilizer from kitchen and yard wastes!

Improve your health & save money!  Eating fresh organic produce will enhance your diet while reducing your grocery bill.

Save energy!  Strategically placed trees and vines can reduce your use of fossil fuels for heating and cooling!

Attract wildlife! Native trees and plants may act as a windbreak, fix nitrogen in the soil, or absorb excess water, while feeding or housing wildlife.

Make a difference! Take responsibility for your own consumption:

Tap your own natural resources - An understanding of how the sun, water, wind, soil, flora and fauna affect your yard can identify microclimates for optimal food production and suggest ways to reduce home heating/cooling.

Reduce your dependency on fossil fuels

By producing some of your own food you can actively participate in the reduction of food transportation, and depletion of fossil fuels.