When many people hear the word permaculture, they will probably think of small holdings, farms and even large gardens. They may not realise that it can actually be done on a much smaller scale, from the tiny garden to patio containers. You can even achieve the principles of permaculture indoors and apply it to the plants you grow on a windowsill.
Some people just don’t have any outdoor space so using spaces indoors such as windowsills is ideal. Opt for one that gets plenty of sunshine and it is the perfect growing environment for herbs. Some herbs are extremely easy to grow and all you need is a little knowledge of how to pot them and care for them. This will give you fresh ingredients to add to meals and all within easy reach of the kitchen.
Focus on the walls
Anyone working with a very small space will know that it can put you off even trying something like growing plants. However, wall space can be easily used to create a useful growing area. It isn’t just herbs that can be grown indoors either. You could opt for climbing plants if you want to add a small section of trellis to the wall, or just flowering plants. Wall planters are easy to fix to the wall and they make ideal decoration too.
Keep the ‘green and growing’ theme by using colorful wallpapers in the room. Brightly patterned wallpaper with a leaf design would be perfect to enhance the feeling of bringing the outdoors in. It is easy to choose colorful wallpapers – a few clicks online and there is a whole array to choose from. Opting for colorful wallpapers with a pale green leaf design if you are having bright flowering plants on the wall will help to create a nice contrast in shades or go for a darker green design if the plants are paler colors.
Think about applying some of the principles of permaculture to your planting too. As an example, choose plants that will bring you some benefit. If you use a lot of chillies in your cookery then grow a few chilli plants. If you add herbs to soups, then grow herbs. You should also consider making sure that your growing process is minimal or zero waste. Where you can’t eliminate waste altogether you need to consider whether or not you can reuse items – when your seedlings grow out of the small pots can you reuse those pots?
The clever use of space is also another essential factor in permaculture. By doing what you can with the limited space that you have you will not miss out on the opportunity to connect with nature and do something for the environment.