Permaculture is a design system for creating sustainable human settlements. It goes beyond gardening to encompass entire landscapes, creating systems where plants, animals, and structures work together harmoniously.
The Three Ethics of Permaculture
- Earth Care: Nurture the living earth
- People Care: Look after yourself and others
- Fair Share: Limit consumption, redistribute surplus
Key Permaculture Principles
- Observe and interact: Watch before you act
- Catch and store energy: Water, sun, nutrients
- Obtain a yield: Get useful outputs
- Apply self-regulation: Accept feedback
- Use renewable resources: Reduce dependence on non-renewables
- Produce no waste: Every output becomes an input
- Design from patterns to details: Big picture first
- Integrate rather than segregate: Stack functions
Zone Planning
Permaculture organizes space by frequency of use:
Zone 0: The Home
The house itself—design for energy efficiency, comfort, and connection to the land.
Zone 1: Intensive Garden
Visited daily. Herbs, salads, kitchen garden, greenhouse. Close to the house for easy access.
Zone 2: Main Garden & Orchard
Visited regularly. Larger vegetable beds, berry patches, small livestock, compost.
Zone 3: Farm Zone
Main crops, orchards, larger animals, field crops. Less frequent attention.
Zone 4: Semi-Wild
Managed woodland, forage area, timber, wild harvests.
Zone 5: Wilderness
Left alone. Observe, learn, preserve biodiversity.
🌳 Start Small
You don't need all zones! Most suburban homes work with Zones 0-2. Focus on developing your closest zones well before expanding.
Food Forests
A food forest mimics a natural forest ecosystem with edible plants:
- Canopy layer: Full-size fruit/nut trees
- Understory: Dwarf fruit trees
- Shrub layer: Berries, hazelnuts
- Herbaceous layer: Herbs, vegetables
- Ground cover: Strawberries, creeping thyme
- Vine layer: Grapes, kiwi, beans
- Root layer: Potatoes, carrots
Guilds: Plant Communities
A guild groups plants that support each other. The classic apple tree guild:
- Apple tree: Main producer
- Comfrey: Dynamic accumulator, mulch
- Nasturtiums: Pest trap crop
- Chives: Pest deterrent
- Clover: Nitrogen fixer, ground cover
- Daffodils: Pest deterrent, beauty
Getting Started
- Observe your land for a full year
- Map sun, water, wind, and microclimates
- Identify resources and challenges
- Design on paper first
- Start small—develop one area well
- Build soil health first
- Plant perennials early (they take time)
- Keep learning and adapting
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