September 22nd will kick off the first permaculture course to be offered at Phipps!!! Over the years, Phipps has shown their commitment to sustainability by demonstrating green building practices, sustainable development and environmental awareness. This year they take their commitment even further by including permaculture courses with their Adult Education program. Four courses will be offered this fall, two of which are being taught by Pittsburghpermaculture.org founder, Troy Hottle! Various permaculture classes are offered from September thru November. Please read below for course descriptions and information.
Permaculture Techniques for Creating Healthy Soil
Dates: Wednesdays, September 22, 29
Time: 7 to 9 p.m.
Instructor: Troy Hottle
Objective: To be able to create healthy soil in your backyard.
Level: Beginner
Fee: $40 members; $60 non-members
Location: Phipps Garden Center in Mellon Park, 1059 Shady Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa, 15232
Contact: Phipps Garden Center at 412-441-4442
Learn about the importance of building healthy soil and soil life. Discover why soil organisms are so beneficial to the soil and how you can increase the amount of life in the soil. Learn how to increase organic matter in your soil, thus increasing humus and minerals, with the use of composting, sheet mulching, cover crops, nitrogen fixers and green manures.
Designing an Herb Spiral
Dates: Tuesdays, October 5, 12
Time: 7 to 9 p.m.
Instructor: Elizabeth Lynch
Objective: To be able to create an herb spiral in your own yard.
Level: Beginner
Prerequisite: None
Fee: $40 members; $60 non-members
Location: Phipps Garden Center in Mellon Park, 1059 Shady Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa, 15232
Contact: Phipps Garden Center at 412-441-4442
Do you want to grow and harvest your own fresh herbs right out your door, but don’t have a lot of space? Learn how patterns found in nature, such as spirals, can be replicated in your garden. Understand how to plant all of your favorite herbs in a small area using vertical space and microclimates provided by a permaculture herb spiral. Draw up designs to create your own spiral of herbs.
Introduction to Permaculture
Dates: Tuesdays, October 19, 26, November 2, 9, 16
Time: 7 to 9 p.m.
Instructor: Elizabeth Lynch
Objective: To understand the principles of permaculture and permaculture design techniques.
Level: Beginner
Prerequisite: None
Fee: $100 members, $150 non-members
Location: Phipps Garden Center in Mellon Park, 1059 Shady Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa, 15232
Contact: Phipps Garden Center at 412-441-4442
Learn about various definitions of permaculture, its history and dissemination, as well as basic permaculture ethics and principles. Gain an understanding of ecological design while learning how to build soil, conserve water and select the most useful plants in order to design a sustainable landscape. Participants will discover local and regional examples of sites that have applied permaculture principles with great success.
Analyzing Your Site: Permaculture Zones and Sectors
Dates: Mondays, November 15, 22
Time: 7 to 9 p.m.
Instructor: Troy Hottle
Objective: To be able to use the concepts of zones and sectors to efficiently plan your backyard.
Level: Beginner
Prerequisite: None
Fee: $40 members; $60 non-members
Location: Phipps Garden Center in Mellon Park, 1059 Shady Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa, 15232
Contact: Phipps Garden Center at 412-441-4442
The first step of any good landscape design is site analysis! Learn how to use permaculture design principles of zones and sectors to efficiently plan your backyard plantings including kitchen gardens, windbreaks, microclimates and privacy barriers. Urban and suburban settings will be addressed.