Like Brenda said, not only does Herr Holzer use them, we here at permies use the term because of him!
In the translation of his book,
Sepp Holzer's
Permaculture, the Englsh term used for
hugelkultur (literally, "mound planting"; contrary to what some folks think, "hugel" does not mean log) is simply "raised bed". But these are not the neat, boxed-in beds of Square Foot Gardening, nor the tidy mounds of the French potager. No, at the Kramaterhof, his farm in the Austrian alps, he did wholesale earthworks, making 2-meter-high, steep mounds by burying the logs that were everywhere on his
land. He says that he would not use
wood if he had to go somewhere else and haul it in. Too much work. He used the logs he had and they worked a treat for him, so he continued. He also says that making the mounds too small or flat gives disappointing results. Up in the mountains, he wants to trap lots of snow-melt and create effective windbreaks and microclimates. His
books are very personal but filled with gems and rebellious wisdom. Highly entertaining and educational!
I am on a very cold rocky site (eastern Quebec) and hugelkultur is going to be the basis for almost everything I put in the ground from now on. I have no doubt it is the best approach to these conditions. Check out
Kota Dubois's posting for what hugelkultur can do on solid rock in cold climates.
.png)
2
