We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn More ›
The key priorities of permaculture farming include diversity, stability, efficiency, conservation, resiliency of natural ecosystems, and creating a closed-loop system that turns waste into resources. It can be applied to all aspects of our lives, including how we set up and manage our home gardens.
History of Permaculture
The concept of permaculture was developed in the late 1970s by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren, who published Permaculture One, a seminal book that launched the global permaculture movement. Other environmentalists, such as Geoff Lawton, have since expanded and further defined permaculture.
In fact, the concept and practice of permaculture has gradually grown into a worldwide, interdisciplinary movement that is applied not only to large-scale agriculture operations but to community and home gardens as well, focusing on regenerative design for homes, farms, and communities.
Permaculture Ethics
Permaculture is a philosophy emphasizing the harmonious and mutually beneficial integration of the land, people, plants, animals, and soil in a sustainable manner. Notable practitioners have identified certain ethical permaculture principles:
- Care for the Earth.
- Care for people.
- Take only your fair share.
Principles of Permaculture
Permaculture is ideal for anyone looking to grow food and other plants in a sustainable way. You can turn your lawn into a permaculture garden with a few simple steps, no matter where you live or the size of your outdoor space.
Holmgren’s 12 principles of permaculture include:
- Observe and interact with nature.
- Catch and store energy efficiently (such as with solar panels).
- Obtain a yield from the land (that is, efficiently produce useful resources from your plot).
- Self-regulate and accept feedback from nature to always improve.
- Use renewable resources.
- Minimize waste.
- Design gardens intentionally by observing natural conditions and systems.
- Integrate as much as possible so that different elements work together.
- Use small and slow solutions that take time to set up but offer big returns in the long run.
- Value diversity to create a healthier ecosystem.
- Use edges or otherwise unused areas when planning a space (such as growing vines on fences, or maximizing the corners of your garden).
- Creatively respond to change to keep adapting and growing.
Benefits of Permaculture
The ethics, principles, and practices of permaculture naturally invite wildlife to an outdoor space. By following the guidelines of permaculture, you can achieve something similar to rewilding, turning your backyard into a flourishing oasis for birds, beneficial insects, and other animals. Among other advantages, permaculture:
- Promotes biodiversity
- Preserves natural resources
- Enhances soil fertility
- Conserves water
- Reduces the costs of food production
- Reduces waste
Creating Permaculture Zones
By separating your outdoor space into permaculture zones, you can more easily and effectively set up and care for your garden. The zones are based on how you share your space with nature and how much time you spend in each section. Keep in mind that not every zone needs to be represented on your property, that zones don’t need to be a certain shape, and that there are no hard boundaries between zones.
Zone 0: Your home
Zone 1: This is the area closest to the home and with the most foot traffic, where plants require daily attention and observation, and frequent upkeep. Think herb plants, salad vegetables, berry bushes, seedlings that require daily watering, a lemon tree, or your favorite flowers.
Zone 2: This area needs attention, but not every day. Plants in this zone require irrigation, mulching, and occasional weed control. Examples include shrubbery, perennials, longer-cycle vegetable gardens, small fruit trees, hedges, and ponds.
Zone 3: This is a managed growing zone that does not require mulch or regular visits. The types of plants found here are large fruit or nut trees and dandelions.
Zone 4: This is an area further away from the center of living, requiring very little care. It’s a place to gather wild foods or grow timber.
Zone 5: This is unmanaged wilderness, where naturally occurring plants and wildlife can thrive.
Permaculture Practices for Your Garden
While some of these concepts may seem a bit challenging initially, once you understand and apply the basics, you can make your garden more productive and sustainable. Above all, don’t worry about achieving “perfect permaculture.” Take only those steps that work best for you.
Get to know your garden
Start by getting to know your own yard, community, and region, including your area’s native plants, insects, predators, and weather conditions. Use these observations to direct your garden design. Consider sunlight, water sources, and the landscape, and be sure to adhere to the permaculture zones described above. Keep in mind that the tenets of permaculture can be applied to a variety of locations, meaning backyard permaculture is just as achievable as larger-scale permaculture farming.
Companion planting
Instead of using harmful pesticides to deter insects and animals, permaculture relies on natural approaches like companion planting, in other words, pairing certain plants to help control insects and other pests. For example, you can plant flowers that attract butterflies, grow herbs that deter harmful insects from attacking fruit trees, and place insect-repellent flowers like marigolds near veggies like cucumbers.
Rainwater harvesting
Rainwater harvesting in permaculture is about slowing, spreading, and soaking so water can nourish the soil before flowing away. Common rain harvesting methods include earthworks such as swales (shallow ditches), gabions (cages filled with rocks or earth), and basins that help water infiltrate the soil, along with rooftop collection systems that use gutters, tanks, and ponds to capture and store rainfall.
Mulching
Mulching is an important factor in creating a resilient, sustainable landscape by protecting the soil, retaining water, and suppressing weeds. Many gardeners opt for sheet mulching, which involves layering different materials—cardboard or newspapers, and then dead leaves, straw, or other types of compost—on top of grass and soil.
Hügelkultur
German for “mound culture” or “hill culture,” hügelkultur is the practice of gardening in small mounds of compostable material that gradually breaks down, creating a nutritional base for the plants growing on the mound. These raised gardening beds reuse waste, retain water, and self-fertilize, all important aspects of permaculture.
No-till gardening
Leaving your garden dirt unturned allows beneficial microorganisms to remain undisturbed and carry on with their important work. Perennial plants are a good choice for no-till gardening since they don’t need to be replanted every year, which allows the soil to remain intact.
Succession planting
This technique involves planting multiple crops at intervals throughout the growing season, maximizing harvest and making the most of space and growing time. With succession planting, when one plant dies off, another blossoms or ripens in its place.
Composting
Compost your kitchen and yard waste to create rich, nutritious material that you can reuse in your gardens.
Keyhole gardens
Keyhole gardens are typically circular raised beds. Each bed has a wedge-shaped cutout that provides access to the bed’s center, where a cage or basket holds compost. Over time, and with repeated watering and rain, the compost breaks down, spreading nutrients throughout the bed.
Attracting wildlife
Birds, other pollinators, insects, and small mammals are important links in a successful ecosystem. Ensure that you provide creatures with a safe home that meets their needs. If possible, keep some dead logs and leaf litter in your yard. Also, choose plants that attract wildlife, avoid pesticides, install bird feeders and houses, and bat houses—whatever it takes to make your property hospitable.
Final Thoughts
Taken as a whole, the number and complexity of these practices may seem overwhelming. In fact, some folks consider the expense and work required to establish a permaculture environment to be an insurmountable barrier. Rather than give up, focus on implementing what makes sense for your property and what you can realistically do given your time and resources. An immediate, wholesale switch is not necessary.
Do what you can, when you can. Every measure, big or small, is a step toward a healthier and more productive ecosystem.
