garden update & "Permaculture" what do you mean ?

The Cilantro is up and looking healthy

 

The Cucumbers are growing slowly after needing to be re-planted

  

The Dill looks delicious and I'm curious to find out what plants are growing around them is it Stinging Nettles ?

The potatoes are coming up nicely

Kale is growing bigger can't wait to try some delicious toasted Kale

Our Lettuce heads are much bigger

"Permaculture" what do you mean ? 
 
“Permaculture is an integrated, evolving system of perennial and self-perpetuating plants and animal species useful to man.”
Bill Mollison and David Holmgren – 1st definition of Permaculture

I found an interview with one of the co-originators of the permaculture concept online with David Holmgren for anyone who is interested in reading more about it. 

And another interview with the other co-originators Bill Mollison.

Permaculture is a system of design principles that include,
zones- This involves the division of areas on a farm based on movement and the amount of human attention required for different areas.
sectors- This is another method of arranging the location of farming activities, this time based on the flow of necessary energies or resources from a given point, such as a farm house. Imagine the farm as a pizza. Each triangular slice is a sector radiating from the center. Permaculturists attempt to arrange farm activities so that each area has easy access to the center.
relative location- This principle involves the thoughtful planning of both zones and sectors based on where they are in relation to each other. Permaculturists aim to position these elements in a way that maximizes energy usage and minimizes waste.
biological resources- Whenever possible, leave farm work to more efficient, non-human elements. This involves the use of animals for tasks like weed control, pest control and fertilizer production. Using wasps to control plant parasites and manure to nourish crops is an example of this principle.

nutrient recycling- This involves using the ecosystem within the farm to replenish nutrients instead of relying on imports. A good example would be composting organic matter and using manure as fertilizer.
diversity- Permaculture encourages raising multiple crops and farm animals to prevent farmers from becoming dependent on one product. This way, fluctuating market prices or breed-specific illnesses are less likely to have catastrophic results.

I'm only listing a few principles but if you want to learn more here are some books to read:
• How to Make a Forest Garden ~Patrick Whitefield
• Gaia’s Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture ~Toby Hemenway
• Forest Gardening: Cultivating an Edible Landscape ~Robert A. De J. Hart

 Here on these photos you can see our attempt at adopting the design principles in our garden. The bird feeder attracts birds into the centre of the garden. The lettuce and kale plants are planted close to the front edges for accessibility while the tomato and cucumber plants are along the back edge. The two half circle rows around the bird bath have onions and herbs as well as flowers.

 "Adopting permaculture in your garden could be the first step towards limiting your personal consumption and planning your life to become more creative as time goes by”
Graham Bell, ‘The Permaculture Garden’