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Hi everyone, I’m looking for recommendations for books on permaculture in the desert. I have a relative in the Sonoran desert near Tuscon who is interested in creating a food forest in her back yard. Any practical books on this, listing plants, giving a practical how-to, etc? (I know the youtube videos and some websites on this. And Fukuoka’s Sowing Seeds in the Desert.) Thanks!

Thanks for the post about tree guilds. I hadn’t considered that before. I plan to take out the rose bush in the spring and plant a frost peach. I did an urban garden tour and found out a neighbour a short walk away got 50 pounds of peaches from a small tree in a similar spot. I was planning on planting the two blueberry bushes in the ground since the plastic tubs are cracking. Will thr blueberries preference for acidic soil work T with a peach nearby? Also can anyone suggest good companion plants? I am planning to sheet mulch more area in front of the roses and blueberries.Thanks.

This spring I want to build a swale to help drain water around the house to the lower side of the yard. Looking for ideas/information on swales and permaculture. In the swale I plan on using rocks/moss and at the base of the swale will be flooded during heavy rain. My main goals is to filter water and build soil integrity.

Permaculture is mostly associated with rural or homesteading lifestyles, but how can its principles apply to transforming urban environments? How can we integrate green spaces, natural design, and self-sufficiency in city areas? Let’s talk about the potential for creating eco-resilient urban ecosystems.

I posted here https://www.reddit.com/r/Permaculture/s/abdBsQj5LW over a year ago seeking advice on what roof material to use for my partially earth-sheltered greenhouse. Thought I’d provide an update since it was hard to find examples in comparable conditions/ latitudes, etc.

The greenhouse is dug into a steep slope over 6’ deep along the back wall and at surface at the front. The back wall is a dry stacked rock wall mortared and built 3’ higher with cob. The structure is framed with wood, and the main front wall is a 2’x16’ solarium freebie from someone who wanted it removed from their property. We’re remote and on 100% solar power, so we have LED grow lights we can use for spring starts, but we’re not adding any supplementary heat.

Relevant info: •51°N remote interior BC •~600m (1969ft) elev •south-facing slope •zone 5b average temp range -30°C to 40°C (-22°F to 104°F) •low precipitation area (including snow – typically maybe 6” fall and blow around in drifts)

In the end, we already had a pile of used metal roofing here, so we decided to try two layers of that for the ceiling/ roof (insulated with rockwool) before buying any polycarbonate panels.

It has now been well over a year since we completed the greenhouse and we’ve learned a ton. We found we didn’t need clear roofing to maximize light penetration, and the insulated roof means we still have plants going strong at winter solstice. We supplement with LED grow lights to keep late winter/ early spring seedlings from getting leggy, and we covered the solarium with shade cloth for most of July/ August to cut the intense heat and avoid sun scald. Soil block seedlings suffered a bit in the direct sunlight (vs pots/ growing indoors). Peppers did better there than in our garden beds. Tomatoes limped through summer but thrived into the winter months when outdoor beds were done. Winter greens are doing great in the greenhouse compared to the trays in our south facing windows inside the house.

Any tips for how best to use this space from other growers (especially at this altitude with very hot/ very cold conditions) welcomed!