Welcome Michael Judd author of Edible Landscaping With a Permaculture Twist

Photo Source:
Chelsea Green Publishing

This week Michael Judd joins us to answer questions about transitioning from lawns to edibles.

There are 4 copies of his book Edible Landscaping With a Permaculture Twist up for grabs.

Michael himself will be stopping by the forum over the next few days answering questions and joining in discussions.

From now through this Friday, any posts in this forum, ie the urban forum, could be selected to win.

To be eligible to win, you must use a name that follows our naming policy, and you must be signed up for Paul's daily-ish email.

The winner will be notified by email and must respond within 24 hours.

Posts in this thread won't count, but please feel free to say Hi, and Michael feel welcome.

Never mind. I see that my display name does show my name. I thought it would show my login.

BTW, Hi Michael! Welcome to Permies!

Hi Michael!

Welcome to Permies! Great to see you here. I have a question about making the transition - how much distance would you recommend putting between your leech field and your edibles? Thanks so much!

Welcome Michael! It's wonderful that you've joined us here. As an urbanite, I'm looking forward to your responses to questions.

Jen

I have been following Permies for a few weeks and finally decided to join the forums a week ago thinking that I might want to post something at sometime. Well, what better time than now! This book would be a great help to "upgrade" my lawn.

Michael, your book looks like a winner !!

I have always told my wife that we need to just plant more garden instead of lawn. I think she is finally getting tired of mowing the yard, (I have an allergy to cut grass, ).

Paul, a store tab would be great. All the permaculture books i've purchased thus far have been because of permies and it sure would be swell if you could take credit rather than me looking it up on amazon.

Hi, Michael,
Glad to see you on this thread.

Folks,
I've visited Michael's homestead. He's got a gorgeous edible landscape. He makes it look easy.

I've already got a copy of his book and have read it through twice (Amazon review under "DE"). Now, it's in the hands of friends. This book would make a great gift for someone who doesn't know much about or is intimated by permaculture.

Cheers,
Dan

Welcome Michael and i hope to read your book soon.

Roger

Welcome Michael!

We're thrilled to have you here and your book looks most excellent.

Reminder: this thread is for welcomes and book promo info. Please ask questions or start discussions in a new or existing thread in the urban forum (not this thread).

Being one of those people who never win anything, I thought I could buy this book. So I a look over Amazon and found that it is only available as a hard cover. As a matter of principle, I only buy ebooks. Perhaps the publisher/author could this idea some consideration.

Robert Carlson

Hi Michael,
Looking forward to reading your book. Grass is probably the number one "crop" in most suburban communities. More people will be looking for advice like yours to transition away from industrial farming and make their properties more productive sources of food.
<I moved the rest of this post about leach fields to a more appropriate forum>

Thanks,
Thom

Looking forward to your Q and A's this week. I am slowly "permaculturing" our yard. I would appreciate ideas that make my neighbors less annoyed. Most think that growing anything but grass in your front yard is "sinful." I have long left the grass and have a rain garden (in Pacific Maritime NW), dwarf fruit trees, berries between me and one neighbor. My plan is more flowers and herbs between things so that the yard has more color. Help with suggestions, even specific plants useful and colorful . . .
Thanks,
Sue

Hello Michael! The book sounds really exciting. I'm one of the main caretakers for a group garden and also have a space nearby where I'm using all edible, medicinal plants to create the landscape.

I was 8 years old when I saw my first front yard edible landscape garden and I went home and told my Dad about it. (We always had an organic garden but in the back yard...) I asked him, "Dad, why do people grow grass and plants they cannot eat in their yards? It seems like a waste of energy, water and time. All that mowing and cutting and they could be harvesting food instead."

Dad didn't know why people didn't grow food instead of lawns, either.

It only took 46 years for my validation on that childhood hunch....LOL.

Thank you! Looking forward to the book! Oh, and shameless plug for the FREE community seed exchange Saturday.

Dawn
http://www.RedSpiralHand.com

Hi, Michael,
Glad to see you on this thread.

Welcome on here, Michael! Can't wait to get your book (I'm gonna pray to win it)

I am really into edible landscaping. With a permaculture twist sounds interesting.

Thanks for coming to this forum Michael . We talk alot about converting farmers to permaculture , but it seems more important to get everyone in the citys and burbs to do it first .

Hello Michael!

Welcome to Permies dotcom! What a great title. It sounds like what I aspire to!
'Edible Landscaping with a Permaculture Twist'



I love the idea of forest gardening and sharing our habitat with all the other plant and animal creatures that have a right to be here - just because they ARE here! I've planted lots of fruit trees in my garden, which is rapidly returning to forest. There are many mature trees at the end, then a wild bit of natural wilderness, attracting butterflies and bees - composed of buddhleia, nettles and brambles, rhododendron and tall ancient pines, looking much like deodar (it's an old mountain climate, in the highest village in Brittany).

Approaching the house, there is a shady area of undergrowth and then a big jungle of bamboo, large enough to hide several panda families in! I want to use some to create a structure or shelter, but can't bear to cut any down until I know exactly the use to which it will be put! Climbing through the bamboo, vast 30 - 40ft high stems as thick as my wrist, towering, swaying plants growing through and supported by tall trees - I really feel it's a jungle! stepping out you find then an open soil area with a soft loamy crumbly Christmas cake texture, flanked by tall laburnum trees, and which used to be my 50 square yard vegetable garden.

The soil is very rich there, and easy to work, yielding a good crop of anything planted - so much so that I saw a small wild boar there a few years back! She was taking refuge as the open season was leading the predators into the forests on the other side of the road - so she doubled back and came into the village - and allowed me to scratch her at the back of the head! Shades of Asterix and Obelix indeed!

The little vegetable plot is followed by natural edible plants, a grapevine, elder, (for flowers and berries!) fig and apricot trees (sheltered from the winds there as they're early flowering) and on to the more robust apples, pears, plum and cherry...

The beds and lawns are the small 'leisure' garden that hosts a spreading sweet chestnut and small oak tree, more elder and other fruit trees around. There's yew, redcurrants and blackcurrants, raspberry canes and herbs for kitchen and healing. there are also lovely wild daffodils and roses, and masses of primroses and lily of the valley... it's the nearest I can get to living in a forest, while in fact being on the edge of a village..

The garden is alive, aware, and greets me, changing in all the seasons and the hours of the day - the birdsong in the mornings, the dew fall in the evening, there are bats and swallows that flit in the summer, and the stillness of the plants comes into its own in the winter. I'd love a copy of your book, in order to discover how to retain the natural forest state of the garden, and to feed my family and myself!

I hope you enjoy permies and find lots to interest you here!
Mamatrix

So I ran the winner picker app in the forum software and we have 2 winners.

Myron Weber
and
Nicholas Covey

Congratulations Myron and Nicholas!

I sent you an email to ask for the email address of the person that first referred you to Permies.com. That person (if qualified) will also get a copy of the book and a permies care package.

WOOHOO!
Do I make a speech now?

"I'd like to thank the judges for recognizing how truly deserving I am..." NOT

Too late for the free book, but I will be buying it.
I live on a 80ft x 100ft lot in Central Oregon at 2400 ft. arid climate, short growing season. Backyard has steep slope away from house. Front yard has very gentle slope away from house. Could you address how to adapt hugel beds, swales and other water conserving techniques for small scale growing?

Paul thinks compost bins are not part of permaculture. What are your thoughts on the subject?

What can be done to prevent leaf miners?

Beth Tumbaco wrote:Too late for the free book, but I will be buying it.

You can buy it direct from Michael's website: http://ecologiadesign.com

Regarding the questions below - Michael was only with us for a week. He may drop back by from time to time but he was only answering questions during the promo. You have some great questions below. The community at Permies.com is very knowledgeable and ready to dig into possible answers with you. In order to solicit feedback, consider starting a new topic in the below forums:

Beth Tumbaco wrote:I live on a 80ft x 100ft lot in Central Oregon at 2400 ft. arid climate, short growing season. Backyard has steep slope away from house. Front yard has very gentle slope away from house. Could you address how to adapt hugel beds, swales and other water conserving techniques for small scale growing?

Urban forum: https://permies.com/forums/f-134/urban

Beth Tumbaco wrote:Paul thinks compost bins are not part of permaculture. What are your thoughts on the subject?

Compost forum: https://permies.com/forums/f-72/composting

Beth Tumbaco wrote:What can be done to prevent leaf miners?

Bugs forum: https://permies.com/forums/f-67/bugs

thank you Jennifer. This forum is enormous and I am often at a loss as to which ones
are appropriate for my questions.