At its most boiled down essence, Permaculture teaches us to view the world as “flows.” This can be energy flows, or matter flows. This is not some mystical, magical, chakra, chi, spiritual energy thing. This is physics. This is about identifying how energy and matter enter our property, making a choice to retain it or remove it, and then implementing design that does just that. If we want to retain it, we focus on keeping it on the property as long as possible, and reusing it. If we want to remove it, we either attempt to block it as early as possible, or redirect it back off of our property as quickly as possible.
This analysis of each flow is called “Sector Analysis.”
What kinds of things do we look for in Sector Analysis?
Where does water enter and exit the property?
What is the annual average rainfall for the property? What does a 100-year flood look like on this property?
Where does wind enter and exit the property? During what times of year? Does it bring overly cold or hot air from that direction?
Where does the sun rise and set? What angles does it reach as it passes over the sky throughout the year?
Are there any cyclic wildfires near the property? What direction do they come from?
Are there any views that should be blocked? Are there any views that should NOT be blocked?
Are there any sounds that need to be muffled?
We also analyze efficiency, which is where we come up with placement of items for Zone analysis. Zones measure “how many visits to this spot on the property per day, week, month, or year?” Sectors measure “what direction and how much of a good or bad thing is entering the property?”
The “good” flows, (especially water) are generally designed to meander across the property for as long as possible. We slow it with things like swales, and soak it into the ground. We stop it with dams and ponds for use during dry spells. We sometimes put in pumps to lift water from a low spot to a high spot on the property. We shade exposed water to reduce evaporation. We store roof runoff in tanks. We force it to move the way we want it to move, and make it as passive as possible. Every drop that enters should take the longest route it can before exiting our property.
On the other hand, we treat threats such as wildfire areas with care. We plant trees and shrubs that are known to be naturally fire resistant at the edge of the property. We allow a buffer between those trees and the productive ones further in. We hydrate that section as much as possible using swales, ponds, dams, and other water features vigorously.
We harvest the good, and we deflect the bad. This is how we treat the energy flows to benefit ourselves and the land. This is how Permaculture works.