milkmood said:I've been struggling with this question, mainly because my footprint for food production is so small.
Does a plant have to contribute to the culture in order for it to be part of the culture?
Do visual aesthetics for the sake of beauty alone have a place in permaculture even if they don't attract bees, drop leaves, or produce food?
extranjera said:I think it would be a very sad and one dimensional world if we couldn't appreciate something and grow it simply for its beauty.
Gardens are not only more productive than agriculture, they are less damaging to the environment. Of course, some gardening strategies are more productive and protective of the environment than others. Defining those strategies is what permaculture is about. Permaculturalists prefer non-cultivation techniques.