This is a guest post from Ming–he wrote it as a gardening submission to the community newsletter where we live, but it was rejected. I love what Ming wrote, and I’m sorry it wasn’t wanted. I asked Ming if I could share it here, and he was happy.
Hello from a new cohousing cooperative development in Eugene, Oregon. I am Ming, a member of the cooperative and a resident of cohousing since near the beginning.
I have lived in this valley for two years this time around, and at nearby semi-rural Dexter in an intentional community for five years, fifteen years ago.
I did not learn plant growing as a child. However, while living in community, I gained two permaculture certifications and experience growing edible, helpful, and herbal plants.
nature
Permaculture is a way of seeing facets of nature and through its lens, how the world works. Permaculture is a reconfiguring of ancient observations and concepts. Permaculture is often described and demonstrated by growing plants and gardens.
While the community is organizing and setting up the growing spaces in our communal community garden spots, our personal balcony garden is currently comprised of low cost, found, and adopted plants. Some permaculture enthusiasts are very specific on their plants choices from catalogs and specialty growers whereas others are delighted by what is in the found world.
plants
I and my spouce are currently growing Egyptian walking onions, rosemary, a rabbit foot fern, a polka dot begonia. We get adequate western setting sunlight on our balcony. Delightful. We are also growing a Christmas cactus. There are Shadow Cat Dahlia tubers that my spouce just recently planted. There are two loquat tree saplings that are just in their beginning stages.
The walking onion is known in permaculture circles for its ability to travel by its stalked seedpods bending in its declining days and depositing its next generational seeds nearby. The rosemary is evergreen and culinary. I love ferns. The begonia was a gift. The Christmas cactus is a powerful symbol for us, from when we were traveling without a home base for a few months before settling in Eugene.
I want to grow tree collards which are perennial, luscious, nutritious, fast growing, and delicious. I want to grow sunflowers on the southern side of the community garden beds to provide protective dappled sunlight to the other plants, as the sun is to our south in our Eugene growing area. I want diversity of plants to add resilience to the garden, multiple uses, and a nutritious food source.
Disabled Resilience Permaculture
My spouce and I are formulating concepts to articulate Disabled Resilience Permaculture ideas and practices. This branch of permaculture emphasizes succession of plants, plans, and concepts, such that aging and disability do not deny or impede the use of permaculture experiences. Disability Justice is emphasized and embedded.
This cooperative had garden beds preinstalled on property upon movein. Our community garden is a work in progress currently of consensus decision making processes of a Garden Committee to formulate equitable gardening opportunities for residents. Please join us.
2 replies on “permaculture gardening essay from Ming”
Thanks, Ming. This is helpful. I think of permaculture as flowing with the flow of how things are; with the deep nature of things. I think you and Laura Marie are permaculture for each other. Canyonelder who is off-trail, but not off-journey.
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