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our vision
In the small village in Tagounite, Zagora, we allow a self-sufficient forest garden to thrive on 1.5 hectares of land - entirely according to the principles of permaculture. We heal the earth so that it can heal us again.
The forest garden paradise does pioneering work and serves as an inspiration to the locals. They will learn the basics of permaculture on site and will be accompanied and supported in their projects by permaculture designer Jessica. A diverse forest oasis is being created in the middle of the desert.
Romana Garden is a place of learning. But also a place of community. There will be a small camp next to the academy where we can share the simple life with like-minded people. Gardening. soul life. Be.
[permanent : agriculture]
long-lived or permanent farming. Diversity in the garden creates closed cycles / ecosystems that provide healthy food for many generations. We heal the earth so that it can heal us again.
The term permaculture was coined by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in the 1970s. They each developed 12 principles, which we use to create healthy, internally functioning cycles in agriculture. Their work is based on 3 ethical principles – earth care, people care, fair share – which we in Romana Garden understand as follows:
earth care – We take care of Mother Earth.
We plan seven generations ahead and focus on building humus. We care for mother earth so that she provides us with healthy, nutritious food.
people care – We are soul and give it space.
We believe in soul and life purpose. If we come into contact with the soul, we experience meaning and can fight for our cause. So that together we can make the earth a beautiful oasis. By being together we heal.
fair share – We share what surpluses we have.
We share the seeds and young plants that emerge from our greenhouse with our students. In addition to access to knowledge, they should also have access to resources.
forest garden
The term forest garden describes a system that mimics the original forest. Because we have already cultivated or sealed most of the areas, we hardly see this original form of the forest anymore. With the method of growing in layers, with a good design, a fertile garden can be achieved, in which we hardly have to intervene anymore because it regulates itself. Diversity is the key.
We choose a variety of legumes because they fix nitrogen in the soil through their roots. Thus, nitrogen-requiring species have the chance to thrive on this barren soil, which otherwise would not survive. These new species then also help to make the soil more fertile and to further integrate species. The more species we can integrate, the more self-sustaining the system will be.
Below you can see the seven layers and a selection of what we will be planting here. The fruit trees and shrubs layer are combined because, depending on the pruning, a fruit variety can be classified as a shrub.
tree layer + legumes.
acacia
leucaena
carob
judas tree
lupine
ean
chick-pea
pea
peanut
green manure.
mint
singapore daisy
spinach
thyme
fruit trees / shrubs.
pomegranate
olive
date
guava
orange
lemon
apple
pear
banana
mango
avocado
root layer.
onion
garlic
dandelion
herbs.
mint
rosemary
sage
thyme
mallow
thistle
chard
lemon balm
fennel
calendula
echinacea
chamomile
yarrow
climber.
pumpkin
melon
bean
kiwi
pea
passion fruit
bunch of grapes
project description with budget plan.
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