I generally offer two services: consultation and design. There are different types of consultations for individual needs and the design service is broken up into several parts as well. The detailed overview may be found in the Cost Sheet. I serve private residences, businesses, cities, and NPOs in Bell County. I will also travel to Coryell and southern McLennan counties, but that may incur a travel fee. The phrase “Food, Form, and Function” reflects what my client may expect. Some clients are completely focused on food production, where the “food” aspect takes precedence. Others want a low-maintenance landscape, and that would require more “form” than “food,” but definitely still relies heavily on “function.” Every client is different, but I have noticed that they need all three in some measure. One aspect may be the driving force, but all are necessary and required. Permaculture is design with a purpose. Whether it is creating a certified Texas Wildscape, becoming more food independent, or having a peaceful backyard to relax in, the purpose is clear. Many permaculture designers loose the “form” in pursuit of “food” and “function.” I believe that none of them are mutually exclusive. You can have a highly functional and edible landscape that is also beautiful. Let’s walk through what each aspect really means. |
Food
Permaculture is primarily about growing food. It is a system geared towards sustainable forms of agriculture. Many of my clients have food self-sufficiency or food production as the main goal. When I design food systems, I focus on having something to harvest all year, whether it is fruit, animal products, vegetables, mushrooms, honey, wild greens, or berries. There is something ready to eat at any time of the year, but most gardeners focus on the spring/summer glut. They are inundated during the summer (a lot of it usually goes bad while waiting to be eaten or processed) and have to go to HEB in the winter. Poorly designed food systems simultaneously create pollution and starvation. “Food” relies on “function.” It is hard to grow food when your water spigot is a hundred feet away, the compost pile is nowhere near the chicken coop, or the garden itself is a hassle to visit every day. Will you want to pot seedling perennials like dewberry, grape, passionflower, or mulberry if you don’t have a potting table or anywhere to store soil? Here are some of the food-focused services that I provide: Alley cropping Aquaponics and aquaculture Beekeeping Community gardens Farm and homestead design Gardening and intensive row cropping Grain production Greenhouse design and management Holistic livestock management and rotational systems Hugelkulture Medicinal herb gardens, with a focus on North American plants Mushroom farming Orchard/Food forest design and management Silvopasture (growing livestock and trees together) |
One thing I love so much about permaculture as an ecological system is that scale is irrelevant. People have done quite well in balcony apartment gardens or container gardens on military bases. Do not think you have to own a 200-acre farm to take charge of your food.
Many native Texas plants are edible! Instead of chives on the edge of your flower beds, why not use one of our wild onions (Allium drummondii)? Instead of turnip greens, what about Giant Spiderwort (Tradescantia gigantea)? If you like spicy peppers, the Chile Pequin (Capsicum annuum) is perfect for you and grows wonderfully in the shade! The pequin is still commonly used in many of Mexico’s most famous hot sauces. The Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria) is North America’s only plant containing caffeine. It is the North American counterpart of yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis). And let us not forget the humble Southern Dewberry (Rubus trivialis), the low-growing cousin to the blackberry (which is also native!). |
Form
No landscape need be ugly. Food plants or not, everything can be beautiful and attractive. “Food” and “function” do not have to be compromised in order to have “form” and you do not have to sacrifice “form” in order to have the other two. If you are going to do something, why not make it appealing? Why wear ugly clothes when you can have pretty and attractive clothes just as easily? Everyone needs to wear shoes. They might as well be comfortable and cute too! Here are a few of the form-oriented services: Butterfly/bee/hummingbird garden Native pond plantings Native Texas gardens Native Texas prairie or woodland Native Texas wildflower meadow Outdoor entertaining spaces Pergolas, decks, and porches Pools and fish ponds Public projects and schools Residential and urban landscapes Texas Wildscapes and Best of Backyard Habitat certifications Xeriscaping Evergreen gardens Native Texas plants are beautiful plants. Not only are they highly functional, most of them are charming and can be used in many landscaping situations or styles. Wright’s purple skullcap (Scutellaria wrightii) would go wonderfully in a cottage garden and is evergreen. Texas sotol (Dasylirion texanum) is a magnificent statement succulent with 10-15ft flower spikes. Autumn sage (Salvia greggii) is a rightly popular evergreen with hoards of red flowers all season long and attracts hummingbirds. A Texas redbud (Cercis canadensis var. texensis) is a great alternative to a Crepe myrtle. Red columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) is lovely underneath a live oak tree. Big Lindheimer muhly (Muhlenbergia lindheimeri) is a native alternative to Pampas grass that does not require so much maintenance or cause so much debris. When it comes to formal or informal, modern, cottage, or Tuscan, there is a native plant that fits. You can have your preferred style and formality. More formal landscapes may require a bit more maintenance than a carefree meadow, but it can all be achieved marvelously and I can design whatever style you want for your property. |
Function
“Function” is the single most important aspect. Without it, “form” and “food” are not possible, or at best, difficult and annoying. Permaculture is all about not making extra work. If you have extra work or something simply does not work, your landscape is not functional. For example, your rainwater harvesting system should water your orchard or your livestock. Your greenhouse should not bake during the summer and freeze in the winter, requiring expensive cooling or heating. No one wants to use a rotational pasture system that is a pain to operate and poorly designed. The vegetable garden should be as close to the house as possible, because you are going to be there every day. The broad concept of “function” is quite relative by nature. What function are you trying to do? Do you want a natural swimming pool sans the chlorine, pumps, or constant cleaning? Maybe you want to attract native pollinators and provide year-round food for hummingbirds. If you want chickens, growing as much food for them as possible on your own property could be an important function to save money. Growing plants specifically to mulch (we call it “chop and drop”) is another function, or nominal irrigation, or harvesting rainwater with minimal equipment. What about using passive solar techniques to reduce energy costs in your house or place of work? One reason I use 80-100% native Texas plants is because they are the most functional plants you can have. These plants already grow throughout Texas without you. Without spraying for pests, irrigation, or fertilizer. Why wouldn’t you use them? Nothing beats buffalograss when it comes to a lawn. It hates irrigation and fertilizer, does not need to be mowed, and only requires 10 inches of water a year to stay green all summer long. As a designer, I can achieve a great deal of functionality just by using plants native to Bell County. |
Examples of functional services:
Buffalograss lawn management Drainage management Drought management Erosion control and management Farm and homestead design Greenhouse design Greywater systems Keyline systems Livestock food systems Low-irrigation techniques Passive solar techniques Predatory insect or sacrificial garden Rainwater harvesting and storage Soil regeneration Stock tanks, pools, and ponds Swale design Wetland and riparian restoration |
People use their landscapes and property for many different things. It can range from 100 sqft in an urban townhouse to hundreds of acres without electricity or running water. Permaculture can do it. When you strive for food, form, and function, you can do it. I will be glad to help you on your landscaping journey!
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