Sustained With Simplicity

· Encourage diversity. Plant a variety of plants and allow plants, birds and insects to have a place. A landscape should not be a still life, but a dynamic habitat for wildlife. Urban gardeners need to be careful not to attract undesirable critters. Contain compost, limit birdseed and keep water features clean.

· Use and preserve land appropriately. Lots of people are proud of their broad green lawns, but unless you live on the prairie, turf grass can be a greedy master. If you want golf-course-type turf, it can require lots of water, chemicals to keep it healthy and energy to keep it mowed. The permaculture solution is to plant less turf and more flowers and useful plants. Trees for fruit, shade and carbon dioxide reduction, vegetables, herbs and edible flowers are all more desirable than grass. Use all spaces for plants, including patios, porches and balconies. Plant window boxes.

· Use less energy. Make the most of collected water to irrigate the garden. Disturb the land as little as possible. For example, heavy machinery uses gasoline. Create berms for sound protection and privacy. Plant swales to reduce rainwater runoff, which can cause water pollution. Use shade plants to reduce cooling costs and windbreaks to reduce heating costs. Use muscle power and not horsepower as much as possible. Even small devices, such as hedge trimmers, use nonrenewable energy.

· Increase food production. Plant more fruits and vegetables so you can "eat locally" and seasonally, and decrease the need for food to be transported all over the world. Plant berry bushes and nut trees. Visit farmers markets and farm stands in season. Increase food supplies by using greenhouses, cold frames, root cellars and harvest succession to expand growing seasons.

· Make garden chores more valuable. Instead of pulling weeds, mowing the lawn or shearing with hedge trimmers, use that time to compost, mulch, plant and harvest.

· Educate yourself and others. Learn the major environmental problems in your neighborhood and region. Find out what the solutions might be and how you can help. The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay ( http://www.alliancechesbay.org) has been an invaluable resource in this area.

· Take responsibility. Reduce your imprint and let nature have a larger role. Investigate community resources, such as community gardens. Evaluate the practices you use in your garden and decide whether they are environmentally responsible.

Joel M. Lerner is president of Environmental Design in Capitol View Park, Md. E-mail or contact him through his Web site,http://www.gardenlerner.com.