Permaculture

Leatherwood Garden is founded upon the principles of permaculture agriculture which is a method of building garden solutions as seamlessly as possible by optimizing interactions with the surrounding ecosystem. For example, in some wet areas we have built hügelkultur beds which are carbon capture raised beds constructed of decaying wood debris and the overturned turf from garden beds. Hügel beds improve soil fertility, retain water and provide soil warming for a longer growing season. In keeping with permaculture design principles, our hügels solve a particular situation (which was water collection in some areas). The hügelkultur beds collect that resource at peak abundance and with the absorption of water then use that moisture sustainably on drier days.