I’m not even sure what a Shazzazle is, it’s a word I made up to describe a kind of fuzzy/ hazy idealised mishmash of thoughts about a possible future situation. So a Permaculture shazzazle is a bunch of vague thoughts about how Permaculture might be integrated into my future.
I had had this Permaculture stuff all in the process of being planned out when I’d bought my land in Portugal and had a specific plot to work with in a specific region. Permaculture planning kind of requires specific details involving temperature, rainfall, topography, so you can, well, plan what to plant and build and where.
Without the specifics doing a plan is a lot more difficult, but you can shazzazle, as I’m gonna call it.
Although having said that about Portugal, I didn’t really do that much planning, I was so busy just finishing off the house, and maintaining the land I didn’t really see the need to do a plan until I’d got on top of what was already there, but that never happened before I left, but there you go. At least I learned that having a place would make planning EASY, not necessarily the execution.
Anyways, anyways, anyways….on with the Permaculture shazzazling…
Let’s think 10 years from now…. 2033….
What do I WANT….?
- 3-5 acres woodland somewhere on the welsh borders.
- OR - thinking on my feet, maybe just 3-5 acres of land that I can turn into a Woodland.
- It’d be too much hassle to live there because of UK planning laws.
- Does that even mean it’s Permaculture? - only in the forest garden sense of the word.
- But that’s O.K.
- So I’d need a van. I want a van anyway, so that’s O.K.
- Some kind of storage unit for tools. Shipping container would obviously be ideal for security purposes.
- Own water supply and compost toilets would work.
- On site solar rig would probably get nicked, could just rely on the van.
- Crazy thought - set up a solar energy field, tie it into the grid, that’s pretty Permaculture.
- Sane thought - it’s VERY wet on the welsh borders so forget that idea!
- I’m enjoying this Shazzazle so far.
- Hedging… I’d enjoy doing that, Permaculture loves edges.
- Trees - lots of trees… If it’s a field, plant lots.
- If it’s a woodland I’d like a clearing so I can plant at least some fruit trees.
Tree nursery. Young trees are much cheaper. - NB I’m talking about woods for real long-term crops, not my dailys.
- Courtyard garden and allotment are fine for daily veg.
- Woodland or woodland to be a long term build and chill spot.
- CHICKENS… They probably wouldn’t work in a woodland, they’d get eaten.
- Poor chickens.
- So no chickens.
- Damn, I really want chickens.
- Tough. The kind of house I’d need to have a garden big enough for chickens is just too pricey.
- Meditation Zone - I’d craft one of those UK Zen stylee somehow.
- Other people - I’d like to rope in some other victims.
- There’s little point having a woodland to myself.
- People could drum there.
- That would be nice!
Phew!
O.K. great, that gives me a slightly less vague picture of what I want compared to this morning.
I still really want to build one of these bad boys!
In the meantime.
It’s all about small scale smart permaculture. Focussing on my allotment and my small backyard.
Small, manageable projects.
Problem is my mind’s gone a little blank here.
Ah, start with what to grow for next year…. Simple crops, in pots, for the back garden, and HERBS.
I’d also like a watering system of some kind, and to do better with composting.
NEXT STEPS…
Read and plan and get a specific vision in place, with a diagram, of my back garden.
Small steps!
Nice shazzazle!
Afterthought - I think the word classifies as an onomatopoeia