<div class="page plain article green CUST_font_112 pid_126155 page-126155"> <div class="background"> </div> <article> <header> <div class="container"> <h1> Use Edges and Value the Marginal </h1> <div class="summary"> <p><strong>“Don’t think you are on the right track just because it’s a well-beaten path”</strong></p> </div> <p class="byline">Deb Hart-Serafini</p> </div><!--container--> </header> <section> <div class="container"> <img src="/imageLibrary/singletrail-175220_1280.jpg" class="main_image"> <p isrender="true">Edges can often be a neglected but useful feature in your garden. Edges are where two ecosystems or features meet and overlap. A good example of this is a coastal shoreline where the sea meets the sand and there is an active and biodiverse interaction. Another example is a stream or river bank which has its own microclimate. Edges can provide specialized environments that can be used to the designer's advantage. </p><p isrender="true">One of my favorite examples is mushroom foraging. I used to believe that the best wild mushrooms would be found in remote, isolated areas. It turns out, however, that the best mushroom hunting is near to human or animal paths because trodding the paths spreads the mushroom spores! I learned this from another local expert Alan Muskat. If you are interested in wild foraging, check out his website <a href="http://notastelikehome.org/" target="_blank" isrender="true">Wild Food Adventure</a></p><p>Part of the permaculture lifestyle, is to respect the abundance of nature. Wild food is really the best food available-it requires no maintenance, no outside inputs and is nutrient-dense! We often find in permaculture that we are rediscovering the life of our ancestors who knew and valued foods found in the wild. Just be sure to harvest sustainably!</p><p isrender="true"><br></p> </div><!--container--> </section> </article> </div><!-- page-->