Agronomist Marianne Leisner at Gaia Tjøme arranges courses teaching participants how to design and develop productive and sustainable gardens besides, amongst other things, spreading knowledge about the importance of organic school gardens. Keeping the local flora and considering the interconnections between soil, plants, insects, the people tending the plants and so on are also elements with which she’s working. Briefly, she’s practicing permaculture which originally was shorthand for “permanent agriculture”, but has since been expanded to refer to “permanent culture”. The last expression also includes anyone working with the plants and their attitude to their work.
Permaculture is practised worldwide and one of its purposes is to create environments where people, animals and plants are thriving. We visited Marianne at her small idyll in May 2009. A pretty place where even the buildings are adapted to nature, being located next to the Oslo fjord, small fields with various kinds of vegetables and herbs scattered around their property. Pupils at local schools are taught about how to grow vegetables in a sustainable way and grown-ups who have experienced various kinds of difficulties get a sense of balance by tending the soil, being taught about edible plants and hopefully see new possibilities after having learnt something about our dependence on nature.
After having visited Gaia, we asked ourselves if this was good, clean and fair. Although not being a farm, this was a place where it felt good to stay. Good, organically grown herbs and salads, not harming nature and fair since Marianne is paid fairly for arranging courses and conducting speeches on what creates good places to live.
If you want to make your own secluded place or oasis in your garden, at work or at your second home, you are sure to find good advice at Gaia Tjøme.
Here is described How To Start A Permaculture Garden.
