There’s no way we could stop by Jan Spencer’s in Eugene, Oregon without getting an updated tour of his permaculture project. Suburban Renewal – One Backyard at a Time with Jan was our first permaculture show (2006, episode 37). True to his permaculture roots, Jan is expanding horizontally and vertically while “nesting functions.”
Horizontal: Besides adding plants to his yard (including a berry hedge, greenhouse, and more fruit trees), Jan is helping neighbors with their own growing plots, as he told us in The Power of Neighbors (2010, episode 174).
Vertical: Jan has built an overhead arbor for grape vines beside a peach tree, both of which shade a work area below. Rain is diverted from his two-story bungalow to a water tank large enough to irrigate the entire garden all summer (by hand, and of course mindfully).
It must be a satisfying feeling to look out over his veritable food forest from the cozy bungalow. Good going, Jan.
All articles and videos on Peak Moment TV are licensed under a
