 Image credit: Concrete Playground If you are lucky enough to surround yourself with the beauty of nature in the Jervis Bay area, you are probably not wanting for much. That said, we've met lots of clients there that have the classic south coast NSW house with a grass yard and a few Casuarinas, not an extension of the tranquil paradise over the fence.
But it doesn't take much, with amazing local native nursery resources close by and the help of a professional landscaping business like ours, improving a backyard can be quick and affordable. We can help you transform your outdoor space into a vibrant and inviting spot to host family and friends and invite local birds and wildlife into your life. When you finally get rid of the family, as the weather cools it is a perfect opportunity to start planning out improvements to your outdoor living space. From simply converting lawn to garden area, putting in a new sun deck or simply retrofitting more layering in plants, trees and shrubs, we've can help. Sometimes it can be as simple as creating a few stunning local decomposed granite pathways and better edging - there are so many ways to make your garden come alive. We always offer a free initial site assessment and quoting (click here) for our clients, so reach out today for a cuppa and a chat at your place.  Jimmy from Pacific Permaculture with his TAFE Diploma of Permaculture (18 months study + $12K in fees). Looking to work with an experienced permaculture designer in your area?
This guide will help you find the best professional for your needs, from considering their qualifications and experience to researching their style and design philosophy. Permaculture designers or 'Permies' are a weird mob, they can be hard to find through he conventional channels like an internet search, so you have to work a little harder to get a great result for your property and for nature in general. Step 1 - Actually finding and contacting a 'permie' to work with Some of us do exist in the general sphere of business such as on the internet and social media. So they are the easy ones to find. Others keep a low profile and hide behind a veil of digital shrubbery that can be navigated by joining your local permaculture group on Facebook and then asking within it for a designer for your area. Another great resource to help you find more 'legit' permies is the Permaculture Australia website. From there, if your local permie is a bit scared of 'the matrix' or is simply a bit avoidant or illiterate in terms of the internet and social media they will be found through word of mouth: Ask at the local garden centre or native nursery, if you see a local landscaper, lawn mower or gardener ask them. Step 2 - Check the credentials Permaculture design is a discipline that is deliver in one of two ways (usually both if the designer is well rounded). The first qualification you will see, and the most common one, is a PDC or Permaculture Design Certificate. Although the PDC comes from a relatively consistent core knowledge and practical skills delivery it is only a 2 week onsite course usually delivered on a working permaculture property. It is not a trade qualification and it doesn't give you any guarantees of education around planning, occupational risks and safety and a number of other, more conventional areas. However, a PDC course is typically delivered by one or more of the senior practitioners around Australia and students do get a good understanding of the design process and methodology. The second qualification will be a TAFE Certificate IV or Diploma level qualification. This means your permaculture designer has been mentored by senior practitioners under a strict syllabus that has been tried and tested through eh National Environment Center in Albury (if you're reading from Australia) for over 40 year in various forms. Students who achieve a TAFE level qualification are likely to have had a similar if not higher amount of physical design implementation experience as a PDC but have also studied for 12-18 months. Step 3 - How to start your permaculture design project Once you've found your designer (or a shortlist of a few) you should ask them for an initial site visit and discussion about their experience, rates and ethos. In our case this is always a free 1-hour consultation and it allows us to assess the clients needs and then go away to work on a rough quote based on recommended design elements required. For a basis of comparison, we charge AUD $60 per hour + GST for all of our work including design. This is in the mid range of other trades people in our area and reflects the relatively young position of our growing business. Expect to pay a senior designer and highly-experienced team with good gear and even better local contacts for materials and plants anywhere from $50 to $110/h (January 2023). A landscape designer is another kettle of fish ($$$) entirely and not considered here. We hope this helps! Remember, Permaculture is a community effort to make human habitats more aligned with nature, so we usually hook each other up with work and referrals - Feel free to ask us for an initial quote or to get some ideas about local designers in your area (click here). |
AuthorBased on the most common discussions Jimmy has with clients and people in the community about permaculture and landscaping. ArchivesCategories |
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