Permaculture patterns - Spirals - all in a whirl!

This is a thread to share and discuss patterns in permaculture - specifically the use of spirals. Let's think about spirals, examples in nature and how they might beneficially be applied in a permaculture design.

First of all, here's a few examples of spirals in nature:

snail shells:


Gastropods

whirlpools:


Old Sow Whirlpool

sunflower seeds in a flowerhead:


fibbonacci sequence

What other examples can we think of?

We have a thread on the mathematic principals behind the patterns, and Burra linked this fabulous video there:




Jasmine dale in the permaculture design companion suggests that the pattern suits systems that represent growth, stretching space and renewal.

What practical examples can we think of that use spirals in a constructive way as part of a permaculture design?

The obvious one to start is the herb spiral, creating different microclimates for different plants, and increasing planting area with height.


Nicole's herbal hugel spiral of randomness

I can't resist posting more examples of natural spirals:

very small spiral:


DNA structure

very big spiral:


triangulum galaxy by hubble

I've had a look through permies for examples of spirals in designs:


winding twine/lagging round a pipe: https://permies.com/t/236735/Lagging-pipes-raw-sheep-wool#2183582

drilling holes for tree sap tapping: https://permies.com/t/59098/Fall-Sugaring#503506

mixing cob in a pipe: https://permies.com/t/35707/Ideas-making-cob-quicker#280549

reciprocal roof framework: https://permies.com/t/261829/Reciprocal-Frame-Roof

spinning yarn: https://permies.com/t/220976/spinning-thread-isn-intimidating#1875399 (lots of other threads on this of course!)

making kumihimo braids: https://permies.com/t/211065/ways-lacing-cord#1769718

herb spirals: https://permies.com/t/259300/Building-herb-spirals-FYP

basketry: https://permies.com/wiki/70/105756/pep-textiles/Weave-basket-PEP-BB-textile#2434982

planting plans: https://permies.com/t/164449/permaculture/patterns-design#1294828, https://permies.com/t/165792/Building-Stealth-Chicken-Zone#1301188

trapping (mobile) food: https://permies.com/t/41563/Largest-source-calories-surviving-wilderness#535349

pumping : https://permies.com/t/4884/tech/spiral-pump

cooling: https://permies.com/t/1944/cooling-vortex-tube


and fairy spirals! https://permies.com/t/242587/Feral-Feline-Foundry#2481564



There are actually many more than these too!

Wow thanks for sharing these are really amazing. I been doing some research about some of this for a while now. Related to water and building. Nature spirals. A lot of ancient measurements like the Egyptian royal cubit and megalithic yard, etc are said to be scales and in harmony of the size and dimensions of earth and space. Our ancestors probably used these measurements when building and creating. Maybe it was like a way of being...in tune with everything. I notice egg shapes do well with water. I had a model of the human skull when you take it apart the bottom half is sort of like an egg with a bunch of tanks and openings for drainage and pipes aka veins.

An egg reminds me of a spiral. You seen that serpent wrapped around the earth? The moon as she goes around the sun shifts the waters so subtle it looks like the yolk of an egg as it's moving...changing up the tides. Up and down. I feel like water spirals too. I seen air bubbles in water down a faucet. The air and water sort of spin and spiral and dance together it looks like this really cool stream. Maybe you could do the same with steam on the other side of it...

The heart naturally vortexes as it beats, the way the hearts tissue is wrapped up it's wrapped in a sort of spiral! And they say time spirals, we live in a world that's so straight edges but nature is very feminine all about curves and stuff.alot of ancient buildings were very feminine I think that's what we are slowly heading too also.

Hey thanks you really inspired me with these. Keep on creating.

Another example of spirals in nature: my monkey puzzle tree! This one I grew from seed

scales spiral down branch

I read an article once that was proving mathematically that the spiral arrangement gave the optimum light access to each leaf scale - extra important perhaps in temperate rain forests!