Do you want a permaculture design that’s abundant with life? Do you want gardens full of butterflies and a wide variety of birds to sign in the morning? If this sounds like what you’re looking for, then permaculture zone 5 will be critical for your design!
In this article, we are going to go over this permaculture zone. First, we’ll get into the permaculture zones and why we work with them. Then, we’ll talk about permaculture zone 5, including its needed care, expected yields, plants, animals, structures, and water sources.
The Permaculture Zones
So what are the permaculture zones and why are they important? The permaculture zones are a system designers use to organize the landscape. There are six in total, starting with zone 0 inside the home. From there, each zone surrounds the home getting further away with each transition into a new zone.
Creating efficiency is the purpose of the permaculture zones. We place the high-maintenance elements that need a lot of attention closest to the home where they’re easiest to access. And we place the low-maintenance elements that rarely require our attention furthest away from the home. Our energy is spent efficiently and all elements get the attention they need when we use the permaculture zones.
For example, tomatoes often need daily attention, whether that’s harvesting, pruning, mulching, planting, pulling, or picking off hornworms. If the tomatoes are on the opposite side of the property from the house, it’s likely some of those needs will be neglected because they’re such a trek from the house. However, if they’re closer to the house, they’re much more likely to get the attention they need because they’re easier to get to them.
Permaculture Zone 5
Zone 5 is critical to permaculture design. This is the wild, unmanaged area. In this zone, we let plants and wildlife exist without human disruption. Every thriving ecosystem requires zones where insects, birds, and wildlife are allowed to live peacefully. By creating these wild areas, we welcome biodiversity onto the landscape which in turn helps our crops and soil thrive. Even on small, suburban properties, hedgerows, wildflower gardens, etc. are really important. Foraging in the wild areas of our permaculture zones is ok on occasion, but these areas should largely be left alone.
Zone 5 Needed Care
The only time we are active in this zone is if we are restoring natural habitat. In this case, the amount of time and effort put into this zone will vary widely depending on the kinds of projects you’re doing. Otherwise, the only care we give to this zone is peace!
Zone 5 Yields
Every permaculture zone creates an abundance of yields. This includes permaculture zone 5! Here’s what we reap from this zone:
- Wildlife habitat
- Inspiration
- Meditation spaces
- Strolling
- Minimal foraging
Zone 5 Plants
The plants we include in this zone are likely obvious to you. But, to be clear, these are the plants that grow here:
- Some foraged plants
- Plants included in restoration efforts
Zone 5 Animals
The only animals in zone 5 are wild ones. If there are pasture animals in this zone, then it’s actually zone 4, not 5! So be sure to create some domestic animal-free zones in your design.
- Some hunted and fished animals
Zone 5 Structures
There are no structures in permaculture zone 5! Once you place a structure, it then counts as zone 4. Remember, the purpose of preserving a wild zone 5 is to allow for the natural world to have a human-free place to thrive.
Zone 5 Water Sources
The only water sources in permaculture zone 5 are natural water sources.
More About Permaculture and Permaculture Zones
There are five more permaculture zones to explore, each one with an exciting variety of options. If you are interested in learning about the other zones, read this article on the permaculture zones. There, I go over the rest of the zones and which elements to place where.
If you are interested in learning more about the permaculture design process, you can also click the highlighted link. In that article, I break down permaculture design into 5 simple steps. Also, I give you some workbooks and resources to help you on your journey of permaculture design.
There is also an abundance of permaculture books and resources available. If you are looking for more of these resources, check out my Bookshop. On my Bookshop. you’ll find all of my favorite books available to you at a discount. This includes a list of permaculture and regenerative farming books.
Summary
Permaculture zone 5 is the key to creating a healthy permaculture design. In this article, you learned about the permaculture zones as well as what you need to know about zone 5. You learned about its needed care, expected yields, plants, animals, structures, and water sources. Plus, you got the opportunity to download the free zones guide to refer back to at any time.
What are you most excited about in this zone? For me, I love the abundance of insects zone 5 brings. Leave your thoughts in the comments, I would love to hear from you!
Thanks for reading and happy designing!
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