Get Real-life Practice at Designing – Creating A BALCONY GARDEN DESIGN

Budding designers can hone their Permaculture Design Skills in a creative and friendly session in our mature permaculture food-forest. This class is designed for people with some understanding of Permaculture ethics and principles.

Balcony owners can get a range of new ideas to help make their balcony garden more productive and entertaining. All are welcome. This will be an intense session where we will produce a design for a real-life client. In the practical sessions the design may be as small as a storage space through to a food co-op or a larger design such as a community garden, a yoga retreat or farm.

We shall apply permaculture design thinking for another real-life client who wants to develop his city Balcony Garden. The balcony faces east, doesn’t have much room, has no tap or rainwater falling on to it but the client can bring water with a watering can. The client is an artist/illustrator/stylist. We will help him sort out his permaculture-focused requirements. Meet other permaculture thinkers and flesh out some of your own design ideas.

Check out some ideas for balcony growing and outdoor cooking and eating. Evaluate threats such as wind, water losses, birdlife. See our anti-aviary systems. Enjoy learning in an encouraging space surrounded by a mature food forest nestled into the foothills of Mt Kembla. Sip on home-grown teas as you warm your thinking cap.

3 Steps in one workshop:

1. Firstly, we will familiarise ourselves with permaculture principles and how they will relate to this design. Permaculture balcony garden designs will have an emphasis on the principle of stacking and multi-functional elements.

2. Then we shall follow a process to get a set of design options. Sort through the recommended 40 steps for a good permaculture design, work out which are relevant for this design and climate. Identify key features desired by the client. Make analysis of each of these key features. Link the the elements to create functional relationships. This practical will focus on ZONING within the small space. It will also develop ideas to use the principle of stacking.

3. Finally, you will explore, develop and assess options for the client. The client will be involved in the design.

Who Can Join In?

This workshop is for people interested in Permaculture and want to learn how design makes a difference to function. It is also for those might know a thing or two about permaculture and want more practice at doing designs, meeting real-life clients and helping them sort out what they really need. Also, there are some students who are on their Permaculture Design learning journey and want help to prepare for their final design tasks. All welcome.

Class limited to 10 participants

 Your Instructor: April Sampson-Kelly, permaculture designer and illustrator for PermacultureVisions.com and Permaculture Sydney Institute

April has over two decades of experience in permaculture designing, implementing and teaching.

Contact us if you would like to be a design client.