PERMACULTURE F
OKC by Beth Davis
or Oklahoma City resident and local Green Realtor, Michelle Hines, having a permaculture
yard is a way of life for her and her family, not just a system they have in place. “It means taking care of my family, being self-sufficient and car- ing for the Earth—and it’s something any homeowner can do.” Hines estimates her yard at about a quarter of an acre. They’ve been in the home less than two years, and during that time, have slowly begun removing what is not edible. “We knew when we de- cided to build raised beds and start removing the grass that we wanted a predominantly edible landscape,” she says. “It has truly been a pro- cess of trial and error as we find out what works, and what doesn’t.” She says it’s important for
homeowners to do their homework before embarking on the permacul- ture adventure. Hines recommends learning what works for the par- ticular plot of land for your particu- lar ecosystem, know what plants
should be grouped together, and most importantly, start small by planting what you really like to eat. “Don’t plant 100 plants if you’ve never gar- dened before.”
Although starting a permaculture
yard can be overwhelming, and cer- tainly time consuming, William Col- lins, owner of Urban Lawn and Gar- den, also recommends starting small, then expanding as desired. Space, he says, is dependent upon how much you want to grow. “You can do as little as a potted tomato plant, or convert your entire backyard. A good rule is to think about how much time you have to spend working your garden.”
Collins says starting a garden is simple, but the soil is key. “Okla- homa does not traditionally have good soil so a raised bed performs better because you bring in better soil.” Rather than starting from seed, he recommends getting plans from local nurseries, as they often do bet- ter if they are already established. To determine what to plant and when, Oklahoma State University has an online planting guide that is “a great source for veggies that do well in Oklahoma.”
While Hines is a big supporter of composting, and even recently installed a worm compost bin, Urban Lawn and Garden offers Compost Tea, an aqueous solution of highly concentrated microorgan- isms found in compost. “Compost is placed in a ‘tea’ bag inside the water being aerated, then we feed the microorganisms with kelp, fish hydrosolate, malt extract or molas- ses, and humic acid,” he explains. “After 24 hours, the tea is ready to be applied to any plants you may have.” By applying compost tea, he says we are putting the biology into the soil that produces food for the plants naturally.
What her family doesn’t eat, Hines shares with neighbors, friends or local shelters in need of food or cans/dehydrates/freezes for use when the fruit/vegetable is out of season. “Permaculture is a great way to connect with nature, interact with neighbors and care for our planet.”
To contact Green Realtor Michelle Hines, email Michelle@buygree-
nokc.com or visit
buygreenokc.com. Please see ad on page 17.
To contact Urban Lawn and Gar- den, email UrbanLawnandGarden@
gmail.com or visit Urban-Harvest. com. See ad on page 21.
natural awakenings April 2011 39
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