Permies should come with a warning label.

I have enjoyed gardening all my life. Even as a kid I loved playing in and around the veggie garden with my mom and dad, and being paid, or not to help my Grandma weed.  When I had a home of my own, I planted veggies.  I have enjoyed gardening and sharing that love with my children.

I accidentally discovered Permies in July of 2019, looking for information on how to conserve water in my garden.  I had started organic gardening a year or two before, and I enjoy some of the gardening You Tubers. One of them was talking about not watering his garden at all, and I had to know more.  I stumbled onto Permies, and have been addicted ever since.  Before Permies I had a rose garden, several fruit trees, a couple of flower gardens, and a small garden with 6 traditional raised beds for veggies.  All like veggies were planted togather in rows spaced as the seed packet advised.  I have kept about a dozen chickens, since my daughter's kindergarten teacher convinced me to take a couple of chicks they hatched.

In the two years since I found Permies, My hole life has changed.  The only time I ever posted online was Facebook, and I was getting away from that, because I don't like there policy's, and all the negativity was distasteful to me.  This is where the addiction starts.  So much amazing information.  So many smart and interesting people posting in a positive manner.  Sometimes I had something to share, and I started posting.  It's like permies filled a hole I didn't know was there.  That's just the beginning.  I now have a hugelkulture (not functioning at the moment because the chickens have removed the top layer of soil, and I haven't fixed it yet). I have a worm bin  for my own worm castings.  I have the beginnings of a forest garden (gophers are making this a difficult challenge.)  I have several garbage can composters, burry food scraps I don't want in the composters.  My garden has at least doubled in size, only two beds are the old style.  4 beds have been dug 2' under ground and filled hugel beet style, and 5 raised beds are filled hugel beet style.  Even my little window box beds I built have wood chips in the bottom.  All and all my garden has been expanded twice this year and now has 12 raised beds of some kind, and 3 large pots. In every bed you will find many different veggies, flowers and herbs.  I don't worry about spacing, for most of the veggies, they seem to produce even better crowded than with proper spacing.  It's an addiction, I'm telling you.  My son actually said to me one day Mom you need an intervention.  I said "it could be drugs, or alcohol".  Permies has changed the way I think.  Not only about my garden, but what I buy, how I use things, the way I live my life in a more thoughtful way to how what I do and am affects others and the world we live in.  

WARNING PERMIES IS HIGHLY ADDICTIVE   Permies may cause you to make life altering change.  Permies may cause you to talk to stranger about gardening and the RRR, and rocket stoves, and, and, and,. Yep all you creative permies need to get on it, a warning sign is definitely needed.

Then again maybe infecting the word with kindness, knowledge and environmental thoughtfulness isn't such a bad thing .

Such a lovely heart felt post - Thank you Jen.

No need for “Hello, my name is Edward and I’m addicted to permies . . .” - there is no cure, there is no self help group, there’s no need to break the addiction.

My biggest fear is if I rise too far up the Wheaton Scale my wife might think I’m crazy . . . Hmm . . . I may already be there.

Jen said, "WARNING PERMIES IS HIGHLY ADDICTIVE   Permies may cause you to make life altering change.  Permies may cause you to talk to stranger about gardening and the RRR, and rocket stoves, and, and, and,. Yep all you creative permies need to get on it, a warning sign is definitely needed.

Then again maybe infecting the word with kindness, knowledge and environmental thoughtfulness isn't such a bad thing .

Thank you, Jen

This is such a thoughtful post and a reminder of how great these forums are.  

I knew in 2016 when I found these forums I had found a place I wanted to be and still feel the same way.

And thank you to all the other forum members that make this such a lovely place to be.

That's the best addiction (or the only good addiction) there is!

Inge Leonora-den Ouden wrote:That's the best addiction (or the only good addiction) there is!

20 Month I was stuck on a wind farm project in Taiwan due to no relief was allowed to enter the country.
20 Month away from my beloved wife, my doggies, our fruit tree collection and friends in Thailand.

There were many days as a project manager where I wanted to throw the towel and other days were dull and boring but permies gave me always a way to escape and kept my mind dwelling into nature when a break was needed...

Howdy,

Me thinks Jen speaks for a lot of us.


"Then again maybe infecting the WORLD with kindness, knowledge and environmental thoughtfulness isn't such a bad thing"

Your post speaks for me as well.  After decades of not having a garden I finally was able to start one about five and half years ago.  We didn't have a lot of extra money so I direct seeded and didn't use any chemicals.  I felt bad because those around me tilled twice a year and used chemicals in their gardens but I kept going because I loved it.  Then I discovered Joseph Lofthouse on a different forum and then his collaborator William Schlagel when I googled Joseph's landrace projects.  That landed me here and to all of the other people on this site and their vast knowledge and wisdom.  This last fall and now winter I read these forums as much as I can so I can prepare for Spring.

Edward Norton wrote:My biggest fear is if I rise too far up the Wheaton Scale my wife might think I’m crazy . . . Hmm . . . I may already be there.

I’m not even that far up the Wheaton Eco Scale but I’m pretty sure my husband thinks I’m crazy already.

At the least he grew up on nature preserves so he can appreciate a lot of it, too.