Rocks in the Garden

Troy | February 8th, 2011

I am exploring the use of large rocks strategically spread throughout the garden to aide in the thawing process in spring. In the warm months, and in the winter when the rocks aren’t covered in snow, rocks buffer the diurnal temperature swings. That is to say they make the micro-climate around them a more constant temperature throughout the night and day.

They do this by absorbing heat throughout the day and slowly releasing it at night. This is an example of using the concept of thermal mass in the garden. Sepp Holzer successfully uses this technique to grow lemons and limes in the Austrian Alps.

Something that I find interesting and that I have been looking at in rock outcroppings and also cemeteries is how the vertical face of a rock, if facing south (towards the sun in our northern hemisphere), induces melt faster by providing a dark energy absorbent mass. Once the white of the snow is gone the ground warms much more rapidly than it would have in a flat garden space.

Something that would be worth experimenting with a little is whether a large rock with the majority of its mass buried (picture an iceberg, with the majority of the mass underwater) will act as a geothermal syphon and buffer the temperatures of the earth below and the weather above. Essentially, if this were the case, we would not only be getting energy from the sun and storage from the rock, but we would also be pulling energy up in the cold months and pushing it down in the warm parts of the year with the rock acting as a conduit.

Additionally, rocks and gravel are the primary source of minerals in the soil and break down as your plants need them.

These are just a few things to consider when you finally dig that clunker out of your vegetable beds and don’t know what to do with it.

-Troy

Permaculture Design Certificate Course

Juliette | December 29th, 2010

This is a reminder… exactly one month until the PDC, register NOW to join us at the Phipps Garden Center!

6 WEEKENDS (January to April 2011):
Jan 29-30; Feb 12-13, 26-27; Mar 12-13, 26-27; Apr 2, 9:00am to 4:30pm

– Earn your internationally recognized Permaculture Design Certification!
– Share 6 weekends immersed in a fun, supportive learning environment!
– Increase your understanding of local ecosystems and your confidence in ecological design
– Experience a thorough, on-site, permaculture design from start to finish for a historic landmark
located in an urban setting
– Learn practical skills to nourish your landscape, home, community
– Visit rural and urban examples of permaculture systems
– Empower yourself to create positive, regenerative changes in your life, your landscape, and your
community

Course Topics:
Permaculture Ethics & Principles
Observation & Ecological Design
Site Analysis & Assessment
Edible Forest Gardens
Water Harvesting
Natural Building
Compost & Soil Building
Greenhouse & Bioshelter Design
Mapping, Surveying, & Presentation
Group Design Projects & Design Charettes
Transition Town Movement

Fee:$770 members, $850 non-members

Lead Instructors:
Darrell Frey of Three Sisters Farm and Bioshelter
Elizabeth Lynch of Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
Juliette Jones of Pittsburgh Permaculture

For more information or to register, call the Garden Center at (412) 441-4442 ext. 3925. Or visit the Phipps website to download a registration form.

Be your own landscape designer! This intensive weekend course will teach you the secrets of ecological design; learn how to garden like nature! Capture and store water on your site, reducing irrigation costs; build soil and use plants that mulch, reducing your need for artificial fertilizers; and design more sustainable garden systems, reducing your maintenance and maximizing the yield and aesthetics of your property. Visit local examples of permaculture design, use mapping and site analysis tools and complete a guided design project. This course will challenge both beginning designers and experienced gardeners alike.
Permaculture design is rooted in agriculture and horticulture, yet is far reaching and interdisciplinary in nature, making connections to city planning, ecology, architecture, and appropriate technology. This course covers the foundations of ecological design and addresses how these concepts can be applied to both urban and rural settings in order to create regenerative landscapes.

Get your PDC in Pittsburgh!

Juliette | October 25th, 2010

Get your PDC in Pittsburgh! It’s inexpensive!!! Hands-on!
Permaculture Design Certificate Course at Phipps
Join us at the Phipps Garden Center for 6 weekends of intensive permaculture design and practice!

Primary Teachers:

Darrell Frey, Three Sisters Farm and Bioshelter

Elizabeth Lynch, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

Juliette Jones, Pittsburgh Permaculture
Dates: January 29, 30, February 12, 13, 26, 27, March 12, 13, 26, 27, April 2
Time: 9am-4:30pm
Cost: $770 Phipps members, $850 Non-members
Location: Phipps Garden Center, 1059 Shady Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa 15232

Permaculture design is rooted in agriculture and horticulture, yet is far reaching and interdisciplinary in nature, making connections to city planning, ecology, architecture, and appropriate technology. This course covers the foundations of ecological design and addresses how these concepts can be applied to both urban and rural settings in order to create regenerative landscapes.

Course Topics
Permaculture Ethics & Principles
Observation & Ecological Design
Site Analysis & Assessment
Edible Forest Gardens
Water Harvesting
Natural Building
Greenhouse & Bioshelter Design
Compost & Soil Building
Mapping, Surveying, & Presentation
Group Design Projects & Design Charettes
Transition Town Movement

Contact:
For more information and to register, please contact- Sarah Bertovich, sbertovich@phipps.conservatory.org , 412/441-4442 x 3925

Pittsburgh Permaculture