3. OUTDOOR
NOT MUCH GROWING SPACE EXCEPT IN THE SHADE
CONSISTENT AIR POLLUTION FROM VAN IN THE DRIVEWAY
4. DESCRIBE YOUR BASEMAPPING PROCESS
AND WHAT YOU LEARNED ABOUT YOUR SITE
THAT YOU MAY NOT HAVE REALIZED BEFORE
Because I am working with an indoor space, most of my base mapping involved tracking the light as it moved throughout
my house. I was able to determine where and when the most direct light enters my apartment and therefore, where the
best areas to place my potted plants. The kitchen, with it’s southern windows, gets the most light by far.
Perhaps equally as important and knowing where the light is, is knowing where the light isn’t. As Bane explains on pg. 32,
each system is “bounded by resource and energy limits. Recognizing these is crucial to health and balance.” There are
corners of my apartment where neither direct or indirect light really reach that I had never really noticed until I spent a day
paying close attention. I will try this exercise again later this week to really hone in on the times each room receives the best
and brightest light.
Space is the other major factor in my permaculture home. There is certainly space for pots, both large and small, and some
windowsill planters. In order to really take advantage of my limited space, I discovered that I could work upwards. I have
quite tall, slanted ceilings in the kitchen and in my bedroom and could certainly hang up some planters. In the kitchen
specifically, there is plenty of wall space. I have seen ladders and pallets used as vertical planting boxes and I believe I have
the wherewithal to install one or two in my home.
I’m quite interested in building a vermaculture box in my kitchen. I found a really interesting article on
www.motherearthnews.com that details the benefits of having one in an apartment. The warmth from being indoors is
preferred by the worms and the small amount of food waste myself and my roommate produce would likely be enough to
sustain a small colony. I could use the castings and soil for my potted plants and in turn, reduce my dependency on potting
soil.
I’m not interested in using the outdoor space for more than a few potted, root plants.
6. WHAT WERE THE CHALLENGES YOU
ENCOUNTERED WHILE MAKING
YOUR BASEMAP?
My biggest challenge so far is overcoming my frustration at having such limited resources. I wish I had
more space to work with, let alone some unpolluted outdoor space at my disposal. However, my current
living situation is forcing me to get creative and to incorporate my home into my agricultural space which
is actually pretty cool. Section eight, titled “Integrate, Don’t Separate” kept me inspired and encouraged.
Because of the lack of outdoor exposure, I’m concerned that my plants and soil won’t have much energy
storage potential, as Bane described on pages 30-32. I worry that the lack of interaction with wild forces
will affect the taste and growing abilities of my produce. I haven’t noticed a flavor difference in the herbs
I’ve grown over the past two years and I’m interested to see if there is one when I begin growing
tomatoes, chives, and heartier produce.
8. TOBY HEMENWAY, A PERMACULTURALIST AND AUTHOR SAID:
"SECTORS TRUMP EVERYTHING" DISCUSS THE SECTORS AT YOUR SITE.
SECTORS ARE THE WILD ENERGIES THAT ENTER YOUR SITE THAT YOU
CAN USE OR RE-DIRECT SUCH AS SUN, WATER, WIND, POLLUTION,
NOISE, ETC. YOU MAY WANT TO BEGIN TO PENCIL IN THE SECTORS
ONTO YOUR BASE MAP.
I have screens in my windows to prevent bugs from coming in and I can close the windows whenever I’d
like if the weather outside is getting too harsh or undesirable. Pollution isn’t much of an issue indoors and
I’m absolutely playing it safe in the backyard where my landlord’s van is always parked. That leaves
sunlight as my main source of site sectors.
A secondary sector, which I didn’t really think about until I was reflecting on this exercise, is human activity.
In order to protect my produce, I should aim to keep them in relatively low-traffic areas of my home. For
that reason, I plan to invest in hanging planters or shelves that line the walls. That way, they will be off of
the ground and out of the way of everyone’s feet.
9. HOW DO FEEL ABOUT YOUR SITE IN
GENERAL AT THIS STAGE? WHAT HAS
THIS EXERCISE REVEALED TO YOU?
I really liked the way Bane described our observations as “interactions” (30). I do feel as though I
interacted with my home in a way I haven’t really done before. I looked at my apartment through the lens
of potential life and growth, not only as a dwelling space for myself and my roommate. I’m not thrilled
about the space limitations but I am very excited to think carefully and creatively about how to best utilize
the area that I’ve got.
