Design and Budget Must Be Realistic

Budget is certainly a major factor in the design process. It is simply an exercise in design if there is not enough money available or allocated to construct it and implement the original vision and intent of the design. 

So if you are working with a designer, don't be put off if you feel they are overly concerned about knowing your "budget".  It makes the design process much easier and saves alot of "pie in the sky" scenarios that will never get built.  If you are paying a landscape designer for their time and want to explore different scenarios, that's fine, but always have an idea of the cost to build each of the scenarios. Working with a designer who knows how much construction costs are is very important.  An efficient way to design with cost in mind as you go along, is to hire a design-build contractor. One who has the capability of providing costs per their design. If you pay them separate for the design process, you can explore variations in the design that meet your budget or to find out how much things cost so you can adjust you budget.

Not knowing how much things cost stops many homeowners from establishing a budget. Often they go through the process of getting bids (with "free" designs) so that they can get a feel for how much of a range they are looking at with what they told the contractors to design for them. If the range is way over expectations, then you now have an idea of how much things cost. 

Another way to work with a budget is to phase the construction to give you time to fund the entire project or as funds become available. The downside to this method is not getting the benefit of those items you are going to install later. They may be important for you to have immediately, so then you must defer some other part of the project. 

A good designer who understands construction can put together a phasing plan based on cost, but also on what makes sense in terms of construction logistics. Some components jut have to go in the intial phase such as underground drainage, irrigation and sleeving.

Another factor is access. It doesn't make sense to defer items such as swimming pools, ponds or waterfeatures that require significant excavation and underground plumbing with equipment that will destoy half the yard just getting to the location.

The goal is to minimize the amount of disruption or having to re-do parts of the yard due to construction methods and access. One way of phasing is to install the underground piping such as waterlines, electrical, or gas lines and stub out the end for later connection. Trenching for underground lines is extremely disruptive and should always be done in the first phase. 

If you are to build your own landscape project or garden, do factor in the cost of all the materials and the amount of labor you will put in vs. hiring labor before you finalize your design. Knowing how much things cost will also allow you to possibly phase the installation if you intend to build the project exactly as designed but need to defer a portion of it until you have the money.

From a design stand point, the worst mistake to make is to spend all your "budget" on the pool and have very little left for the surrounding "softscape". If the pool contractor talks you into building the pool, the decking and the bbq but downplays the plantings and related components, the design will not be balanced. 

Work with a designer who looks at the entire yard thoroughly and doesn't defer decisions about what goes around the pool to another contractor or youself to figure out.

That is why it is best to work with a designer who understands all the components of the landcape and is not biased towards any one component such as the pool. A pool is often the major focal point of the yard, and deserves special attention, but don't have blinders on
when designing the rest of the landscape and know what the costs are for everything, not just the pool.

Recycling Old Jargon for a New Generation Going Green

Just like the New Age Movement, the terms permaculture and sustainability are not new concepts.

 “Permaculture is about sustainable human settlements. It is a philosophy and an approach to land use which weaves together microclimates, annual and perennial plants, animals, soils, water   management, and human needs into intricately connected, productive communities”   - 
- Bill Mollison

At the center of permaculture design and practice is a basic set of ‘core values’ or ethics which remain constant regardless of the application i.e. for a town, a forest or a backyard farm. These ethics are sometimes defined as follows:

·       Earthcare  – recognising that Earth is the source of all life (and is possibly itself a living entity — see Gaia theory), that Earth is our valuable home, and that we are a part of Earth, not apart from it. Agriculturalists traditionally exploit soil, plants and animals so intensely that serious internal (e.g. diseases, soil erosion, decrease of production through the years) as well as external problems (e.g. pollution from fertilizers, human diseases originating from farm factories) occur. Permaculturalists have introduced new ways of practicing agriculture, based on moderate yet problem-free rates of production. These ways are fundamental in restoring a mutually beneficial (and healthy) relationship between man and the environmental factors indispensable to his survival.  

·       Peoplecare  – supporting and helping each other to change to ways of living that do not harm ourselves or the planet, and to develop healthy societies.  

·       Fairshare  (or placing limits on consumption) - ensuring that Earth's limited resources are used in ways that are equitable and wise.  

The concept of permaculture was born out of the need to develop a whole new set of values that are contrary to large scale modern agriculture, especially monoculture where a single crop is the goal.

Today, we use the term 'sustainability' rather than permaculture because it encompasses more than a agricultural basis.  The other reason, perhaps more indicative, is that the term permaculture is actualy a trademarked name. It was intended as a vehicle to perpetuate the idealogy through the teaching of permaculture and to certify Permaculture Designers via a strict set of principles and lessons.

Although permaculture design principles are mainstream in the jargon used when discussing sustainability, their is a subculture of permaculture enthusiasts who endorse these principles not so much from a systems standpoint, but from a social and lifestyle perspective.

Hence the term, 'Permaculture Activist', or one who is politically involved in influencing society and local governments to endorse permacuture principles and values within a public policy platform.

Indeed these ideas are starting to take  hold within local governments that create new sustainability ordinances that cover water conservation principles, solar energy use, recycling and other lifestyle choices that can to a certain degree, be regulated.

Agriculturally, the concept of small-scale farmers markets and home gardens for food production is gaining popularity as people blend values of supporting local growers, buying organic and eating healthy with reducing carbon footprint creation found in most mainstream forms of food production and distribution.