Birthday
HydrangeasEcovillages are communities where people try to live with as little harm to nature as possible: they build with local materials, grow food, collect rainwater and recycle waste. Many began as experiments and now welcome visitors and run courses. Here are the best known, and which of their ideas work in an ordinary garden.
Living plants for your home: potted plants and flower baskets.
Four well-known ecovillages
- Findhorn (Scotland). The community began in 1962 and became famous for growing vegetables on poor sandy soil by the sea. Some houses are built from old whisky barrels.
- Auroville (India). An international township founded in 1968. Residents planted forests on a scorched plateau, and it is now one of the greenest spots in Tamil Nadu.
- Sieben Linden (Germany). A village where houses are built from straw bales and clay and much of the food is home-grown.
- Crystal Waters (Australia). One of the first villages designed on permaculture principles, a system in which a garden works like a natural ecosystem.
Ideas for your own garden
- Compost. Plant waste and kitchen peelings become fertiliser, and there is less rubbish.
- Rainwater. A water butt under a downpipe is an easy way to water without the mains.
- Mulch. A layer of straw, bark or grass clippings keeps moisture in and protects the soil.
- Native plants. Perennials suited to the local climate need less watering and care and feed pollinators.
- Mixed planting. Flowers among vegetables attract bees and make the plot prettier.
For more on caring for a garden gently, see mulching plants and gardening with kids.
FAQ
What is permaculture?
An approach to gardening and farming in which a plot is designed as a self-sustaining ecosystem where plants, water and soil support each other.
Can you visit ecovillages?
Many, including Findhorn, Auroville and Sieben Linden, welcome guests and run tours and courses; check their websites for details.
View full-size photo
Author: Maria Svitlovir
Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.
