In permaculture design, we often talk about working from patterns to details. We also talk a lot about imitating the natural world. But many may be confused by what we really mean when we talk about the use of nature’s patterns in garden design.
Here are some examples that show what we can achieve using nature’s patterns to inform property designs, and why this can be a useful thing to do.
What do we mean by nature patterns?
Before we talk about specific examples, it may be useful to define exactly what we mean when we talk about patterns in nature.
Every good garden design starts with observation. And when we spend any time at all looking closely at nature, we begin to see the many natural patterns it contains.
In the bigger picture, we can notice patterns in precipitation and water flow, wind, and patterns of sunlight and shade across the garden every day and throughout the year. We can begin to notice the patterns of life, death, and rebirth that define all life on Earth.
If we look closely, we can see the branching patterns of root systems and branches on shrubs and trees. We can see energy flow wave patterns, tessellations within natural communities, and spirals and fractal patterns within plants. The more closely we look, the more patterns appear.
Patterns help us find efficiencies – to learn the “path of least resistance” – and learn from nature what is best.
Circles and Curved Shapes in Garden Design
The use of circles and curved shapes in garden design not only helps us achieve garden designs that look more vibrant. Using more round forms can also help make the most of the available space while also allowing for efficient access and design.
Some of the main common examples of the use of circular patterns in garden design are:
- mandala gardens
- Round keyhole bed
- Banana circles or small fruit tree circles
- spiral grass
Mandala gardens are spread around a central point, and growth areas can spread out like ripples on a pond, or bloom like flower petals, for example. A well-designed mandala garden can aid in garden efficiency, as it requires less movement from the gardener to take care of all of the smaller areas of growth. The complexity of the pattern can maximize the edge – the productive space between different ecosystems or plant communities.
Round keyhole beds can be taken care of from a place in the center. All parts of the growing zone can be reached without bed pressure. Keyhole ponds can also have fertilizing and watering points in the center – resulting in efficiency in resource use and the flow of water and nutrients.
Circles of bananas or fruit trees, with a hole in the middle for organic matter and water, can also help meet nutritional and water needs as efficiently as possible.
Grass snails allow us to create different microclimatic conditions and to grow a range of herbs with different environmental needs in the same growing area.
Bending shapes for driveways, ponds or other water features, and for bed edging and borders, can also help us maximize productive edging areas, maximizing space availability.
branching patterns
Understanding branching patterns can be very helpful when managing water flow in a property. By thinking about how water moves through the landscape and the patterns it creates as it does so, we can make plans that make the most of natural rainfall, and use water wisely in our properties.
Branch patterns can also be useful in certain circumstances in creating effective paths for easy access through the garden. Just as roots (and fungal filaments) branch out to fill in the surrounding soil to efficiently absorb water and nutrients, so can we create paths to reach all parts of the garden in the wisest way—branching from main paths and paths to smaller access paths and driveways through different garden areas.
tessellation patterns
Looking at the ways plants unite in efficient ways to form symbiotic plant communities can help us understand the most efficient and effective plant schemes for our garden beds and growing areas.
Stunning rows in a vegetable garden, for example, so that the plants of the second row fill the spaces between the plants of the next row, can help us make the most of the available space. One example involves a mosaic of fast-growing lettuce among slow-growing brassicas in bed.
Similarly, we can take the same approach when creating a fence or windbreak, making staggered rows of shrubs or hedges of trees to make the most use of space and resources, and to achieve the best results.
These are, of course, just a few of many examples of the ways nature’s patterns are used in garden design. But the examples above should begin to explain why we must look at the patterns found in nature to help us make our gardens as beautiful, accessible and productive as possible.