Permaculture for Plant Parents: The Simple Gardening Method That Gives Back

My goal this year is to find more ease and joy in my garden! I love my plants, but I don’t want my yard to feel like another job. And when I realized that was a theme that was gonna keep coming up, I knew I needed to do an episode on permaculture. So I invited my plant friend, Brandy Hall. She’s a permaculture designer and has helped me see it as a simple, practical way to garden. She calls herself a garden editor for homeowners, which means she helps people like us turn regular lawns into regenerative spaces that get better over time.

In this episode, we learn:

• [02:45] Meet Brandy Hall of Shades of Green Permaculture!
• [03:23] How did she become the permaculture expert that she is today?
• [04:38] What pesticide exposure did to her family and why it changed everything
• [08:24] How travel, farm life, and construction work pulled Brandy into this career
• [10:51] Permaculture vs regenerative gardening vs rewilding vs ecological landscaping
• [12:50] Is permaculture growing your own food?
• [14:44] What are the three pillars of a regenerative landscape?
• [14:55] Pillar #1 Restore water cycle
• [15:11] Pillar #2 Soil fertility
• [15:46] Espoma Organic
• [17:22] Pillar #3 Building plant communities
• [18:00] Applying permaculture to real neighborhoods
• [21:19] How modern development broke the natural water cycle
• [23:42] What permaculture does differently with water
• [26:22] The biggest water management mistakes homeowners make
• [27:23] How to work with your downspouts and rain gardens to manage water
• [28:19] Why the soil is your best water storage system
• [30:19] How much water actually falls on your roof
• [31:55] What does a permaculture site consultation actually look like?
• [33:23] How to “read” your own space
• [34:47] How to choose plants for permaculture
• [36:02] Native vs non‑native plants
• [37:39] How to make a permaculture garden look aesthetic (even in an HOA)
• [40:00] How Brandy designs beautiful & productive beds
• [41:10] Where to start if you're new to permaculture
• [42:53] Brandy's online course, The Regenerative Backyard Blueprint
• [44:10] Where to find Brandy, her book, and her resources

Mentioned in our conversation:

• The Complete Guide to Home Permaculture by Brandy Hall
• The Cut Flower Handbook: Select, Plant, Grow, and Harvest Gorgeous Blooms by Lisa Ziegler

For Brandy's recommended permaculture habits,

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Follow Brandy:
Website
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube

Thank you to our episode sponsor:

Espoma Organic

Visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my Amazon storefront.

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

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