What is Permablitzing?

It's "permanent agriculture", usually in a garden setting – and kicked off in a DIY "blitz".

Permaculture is a method of agriculture that tries to integrate human activity with natural surroundings so as to create highly efficient self-sustaining ecosystems. It is a way of setting up a part of a garden in such a way that it needs minimal effort day to day. It does however need a big effort up front in the planning and setting up.

A classic design is the forest garden, featuring fruit trees, soft-fruit bushes, herbs and root vegetables all close to each other so that they benefit from each other. It is closely copying how plants tend to grow on the edge of a wood, but where most of the plants are also edible.

The newly set up Permablitz group within Transition Worcester addresses a couple of things at the same time. The first is giving all or some of your garden a make-over.

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The attraction of the idea is that a big project like sorting out a garden is time-consuming and takes a lot of physical effort, so like the old-fashioned barn-raising in the old west, you get a big bunch of people together and make a social occasion of it, usually involving food, and you get a lot done in a short amount of time.

Few friends are going to willingly show up for weeks on end to help you with a garden, but they are much more likely to help out for just a day.

The things needed to run a permablitz are few, and quite simple: A place to blitz (a back garden or a public space), and helpers, tea-makers, cake-bakers, planners and of course hosts – people who want to do something special with their gardens.

So if any of these labels fit you, check out the Worcester Permablitz Network on facebook.