The unhurried garden: beating analysis paralysis

If you are attempting to "design" your garden, or farm, or food forest and you feel overwhelmed, it's a telltale sign that you're trying to do too much at once. It's not your fault: the concept of designing anything is fraught with issues, which is why I like to keep the word inside quotation marks. The term projects the idea that knowledge is gathered, synthesized, and used to create an overarching plan, which is then implemented, in a very short time period. This scenario is necessary when the process is monetized and contracted out to a professional. This doesn't mean that you need to replicate this process for land you own or occupy long term. In fact, you have the luxury of taking your time, learning as you go, and creating systems that perfectly match your needs and abilities.

Consider the word used in the context of interior design. This usage connotes almost a total control over the process, excluding the pre-existing structure of the house being furnished, in which the designer has carte blanche to create a space that aligns with their needs and desires. But that's not the reality outside the house. Unless you are dealing with a yard recently scraped down to subsoil in which nothing is growing, or some similar situation, there is no such thing as carte blanche in nature. Using terms like raw or unused land, or blank slate, to describe a piece of property is inappropriate in permaculture. There's something going on out there; you just need to observe to find out what's happening.

Beginners often approach a piece of land as project managers. From projectmanager.com, here is the job description:

"Project manager is responsible for the direction, coordination, implementation, execution, control and completion of project, while remaining aligned with strategy, commitments and goals of the organization." Even if you change the words "the organization," to "Mother Nature," this attitude toward your project can lead to stress, analysis paralysis, and pressure to get everything right, straight from the outset. It's like taking a job for which you are unqualified. This is not because permaculture is overly complicated or difficult--it's because nature is amazingly complex and each piece of land is unique.

I much prefer the term "develop" when speaking about implementing plans, though obviously not like a subdivision being called a development.

Rather in the sense of "to cause to evolve or unfold gradually." By adopting this attitude toward your project, it suddenly becomes much easier. The pressure is now off because you're no longer a manager under intense pressure to get the job done quickly and efficiently with no mistakes. You're a partner in the gradual development of a piece of land into a healthier, more productive, state.

Cultural forces put great pressure on us to be project managers, and acknowledging this is the first step to finding a better way to relate to our project. If you find yourself paralyzed, a good remedy is simply walking your land every day. Spend most of the time you have to devote to your project just strolling around looking at stuff. Learn the names of all the living things you encounter. If your space is small, expand your daily walk to the surrounding neighborhood. Observe the plants growing there and research them. Are they native or introduced? If you live in a recently colonized area, investigate what your area looked like before colonization. Learn about crops that have been grown and what land changes have been made. Find out what watersheds you live in.

Here is another idea. If you're impatient to start a garden, instead of researching and planting according to guilds, which are often site specific, just work on growing three of your favorite foods with the least effort and fewest inputs. Try to spend as little money as possible doing it, and do it in a way that improves the soil. Most likely your efforts will be rewarded with food you really enjoy. Even if you experience crop failure, the lessons learned will be priceless.

Reading about how other people have done permaculture is valuable, but knowing your site intimately is essential. Creating habits such as daily walks that make this learning process enjoyable is a great first step. You're also stacking functions: You'll get exercise and fresh air, and maybe meet some of your neighbors. As you get to know the other inhabitants of your area, and start to understand the ecology there, you will begin to have ideas about small changes that could be implemented. This will happen naturally; you won't have to struggle. If you find yourself without ideas, take it as a sign you're not ready move forward. Spend more time walking around. You're not a project manager anymore, remember? You can relax and enjoy the process.