Practical Permaculture: for Home Landscapes, Your Community, and the Whole Earth

by Jessi Bloom, Dave Boehnlein, Paul Kearsley (Illustrator)

“This permaculture primer is fresh and vibrant. Bring it on!” —Permaculture Magazine Permaculture is more popular than ever, but it can still be a daunting concept. If you are new to permaculture and interested in learning more, Practical Permaculture offers authoritative, in-depth, and hands-on advice for a more holistic approach to sustainable living. Jessi Bloom and Dave Boehnlein, two dynamic leaders in the permaculture community, explain the basics of permaculture, share their design process, and explore various permaculture systems including soil, water, waste, energy, shelter, food and plants, and animals and wildlife. They also profile the fifty most useful plants for permaculture landscapes.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Agriculture, Nature, Reference, Environment, Science

337 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 4, 2015

Reviews

[Johanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

solid introduction to permaculture ideas for the experienced gardener. more design focused than plant focused, biased toward large lots, blank slates, and the pacific northwest. not that i can blame them; i like to draw imaginary gardens in maritime climates too.

[Dawn Magnus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been studying/implementing permaculture for almost a decade and like to "keep up" on any and all new books on the topic that come out. That's proving more difficult with so many titles now being published (a good problem!) and having a small child now.

That said, I think this is a beautifully designed and laid out primer on all things permaculture, with a definite emphasis on space design/creation. A new learner will definitely be eager for more, but I can see this being a well-loved resource. I would have LOVED a book like this to obsessively reference when I was just getting my bearings.

I'd have given it five stars if there was more actual plant discussion and exploration...truly a practical permaculture missed opportunity!

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been dipping into this library book and find it's a really good introductory book on permaculture, much better then most. Sadly, there is a hold on the book so I can't renew it. I intend to buy a copy of the book which is high praise indeed. I have a lot of work to do in my own garden so an in depth review will have to wait until I get my own copy and have the time!

[Tim Milligan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good overview of a lot of things. A lot of it was not useful to me, because I do not have quite so much land as many people might who are interested in this kind of stuff... But at the same time, even reading the parts that might not be if practical use of to me (I am not going to own large livestock, plant an orchard, or flush my toilet with rainwater) were good for my imagination.

[Heather feather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super informative and easy read. I really appreciated the photos and diagrams to help explain concepts.

[Felicity Fields · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chock-full of info but no extra philosophy

This is the third or fourth book I've read about permaculture.

At first the planning sections were review of the philosophy and concepts I'd gotten from other books. After that section, the book picked up substantially with sections on how to implement the concepts.

I really liked the details on specific recommended plants, and the section at the end about invisible structures was both entirely new and quite fascinating.

[Leanne Hunt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book useful but not as useful as I had hoped. Parts of it were inspirational and gave good guidelines for urban garden settings, which was essentially what interested me, while other parts seemed very much more targeted at larger scale farms. Overall, I guess it served to reinforce what I have learnt elsewhere, and in this sense, it was worthwhile.

[Martina · Rating 5 out of 5]

For many years I had only the vaguest notion of what the term "permaculture," associating it with an organic gardening technique and little else. This book opened my eyes to the full potential of the concept, to include a whole way of life and thinking beyond keeping a compost pile and avoiding poisoning your yard with pesticides. So happy I found this book.

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is both comprehensive and superficial. That being said, I haven't found any permaculture books I really like despite liking the idea.

[Heather Heiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been becoming more and more interested in permaculture techniques, and had begun researching permaculture design courses. While I'm not yet ready to commit to an in-depth course, I decided to order this book for a sneak peek because it is used as the main reference in one of the online courses I discovered.

The book starts out with an overview of permaculture ethics and principles. It also offers an introduction to systems thinking, and examples of questions to ask regarding each principle as you work through your design.

The conversational tone made it easier to digest the breadth and depth of information. It covers soil fertility, water, waste, energy, shelter, food and plant systems, as well as animals and wildlife. I did skip a couple parts, such as the section on shelters, because it just isn't applicable to me at the moment. But it's nice to know that I can always go back to learn more when needed, and use that as a jumping off point into further research.

I like that it offers a satisfying mix of photos, illustrations, charts, and case studies. It also offers a list of resources for further exploration at the back.

Overall, this book offers value in learning how to analyze a specific piece of property and what factors and trade-offs to consider when making design decisions.

[Krissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a truly excellent textbook on this topic. It introduces a *vast* array of terminology and jargon with approachable and concise explanations. While reading this book I continually thought "Oh. That's what people mean when they use that word". That's a great feeling to have when going through technical books.

The authors did a really spectacular job of laying out the pictures and text. Every picture (and there are *tons* has a very specific illustrative purpose and allows you to integrate understanding of the concepts at multiple levels. I feel I will be able to act on most of the information in this book within the given boundaries of the size of my property. I feel like the authors of this book are deeply sensible and approachable in how they explain a complex and varied topic.

Reading this book made me feel eager to be included in the broader Permaculture Community. I did not have such a feeling after the majority of the books (I went through 10) on permaculture I have read this winter. It is really lovely to feel like these authors care deeply about broadening and opening the community instead of narrowing the entry gateway through obscure and difficult explanations that delight in their own pedantry.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the textbook for my semester-long Permaculture Design Certificate, and I thought it was a solid manual to accompany more interactive work on permaculture.

Around 7 years ago when I first started learning about permaculture, it was a bit mysterious. I mean, what is it? Why the new compound word? Now that I've been around it in many guises, in real life, in books, and certainly on Youtube, it's not mysterious to me at all, and this is a fine manual if the veil has been lifted and you are in a position to begin gathering disparate snapshots of ideas into something more cohesive. Instead of assembling permaculture-inspired features, it is focused on the design process. Which is actually what permaculture is, I think - as opposed to spiral shaped raised beds, which are emblematic of it. What I think it's really about it learning how to read reality and design for it, and how to adapt your design to reality as things don't go to plan.

[Melody · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard to put my finger on why this wasn't the right resource for me. Part of it may be that the audience didn't feel focused. It was a slog to get through, both too in-depth and not in-depth enough for my needs, both too daunting as a beginner and likely too superficial as a more experienced person. Truly, it took me almost three months to get through and left me feeling dazed, while the last book I read on the topic (Nydia Needham's Creating Your Permaculture Heaven) took a week or two and left me energized.

Is this a textbook? The breadth of topics makes it seem like one, but the depth in each topic was oddly lacking (in fact, in the conclusion the authors say the reader now has a "smattering of techniques" to investigate further, which feels true, but that's not at all what I was hoping for). But I did love the ample photography and illustrations.

[Emily Culver · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was enjoyable and easy to read. I think it touched on every area necessary for a permaculture project, though it was more high level than I was hoping when I found it. It felt more like it was a crash course on permaculture concepts rather than practical applications. A lot of it was mentioning here are things related to permaculture, but I left still feeling like I need a lot more information before starting a permaculture project. I would have enjoyed a few case studies rather than just mentioning everything that relates to permaculture without bringing it all together. However, I still think for someone who's just starting to learn about permaculture it is a valuable collection of information and ideas.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book follows the OSU Online Permaculture Design Certificate course. It is very digestible with plenty of helpful illustrations. It gives you all the main permaculture concepts without bogging you down with too much detail, e.g. it doesn't have exhaustive lists of plants and animals and how to keep and care for them, but it does tell you how to connect resources and stack functions. It also covers principles and ethics then watersheds, solar aspect, climate types, microclimate, slope, waterharvesting, aquaculture, village design, and so much more.

[Claire Hardwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Great introductory book on permaculture principles. A mix of science and design principles. If you are a landscape designer or architect would be a good reference book to have . Some bits were a little too kumbaya , unnecessary fluff to the book, but would still use the book as a reference and overall satisfied made the investment buying it.

Would not recommend this book to a novice gardener. There’s a lot of information to digest, which could see it being overwhelming to someone with a basic understanding of plants.

[Emily Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty good basic primer

Explores the mindset and ethical considerations behind permaculture. There are some really useful lists of plants. However, much of the book is devoted to definitions and indexes. You'll have to move on from here to other sources for the real nitty-gritty on how to do things like establishing a water system, providing for power needs, planning an edible forest or other tantalizing ideas. Start here, then make a list of what else you want to learn.

[Anastasia Suderman · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great introduction to permaculture. I especially liked the way this book was split into sections. That way you could jump to the parts that interested you the most. Although not everyone is going to be able to implement all the ideas in this book, based off many different factors of land and climate, it was a great idea generator. I love thinking about the sun as a type of currency. How can we bend that energy in a way that benefits us, our community, and ultimately the Earth as a whole.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thorough introduction of permaculture, the book covers a broad array of topics. The only downside was the focus on tropical or semitropical plant selections; living in zone 5, there was very little to recommend from the plants perspective. But that’s a minor problem and something I can address with other books. Here the benefit is broad perspective and for that and it’s easy approach, I recommend this book.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's an attractive book, with lots of great photos... but content-wise, it tried to gloss over and mention too many things without giving usable detail. Plus, it is heavy on the tropical plant recommendations. If you live in Callifornia, it may be more relevant - but if you live somewhere that has a winter, you may be disappointed in over half the plant-related information. Try Gaia's Garden (by Toby Hemenway) instead.

[Luis Costa · Rating 4 out of 5]

After half a dozen of books about Permaculture I found the one ideal for what I was looking for: not a vague description of what permaculture is and its principles but a good and practical way of applying it. I really recommend it for starters, specially if you are already putting your hands on your property!

[Jakob · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just listened to the audiobook of Practical Permaculture. I found it extremely informative, and its beautifully read by Rebecca Cade, who I'm a bag fan of.

Definitely a recommendation for anyone looking to learn about the major principles of permaculture.

https://www.audible.com/pd/Practical-... - this is it here. Big endorsement from me!

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good review of what I’ve mostly read in other permaculture books. Lovely photos. Emphasis on designing a permaculture garden, your own or a client’s. The chapter on soil was better than average on the topic. Read and discussed over a few months with a group - it lends itself to that.

[Danni · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is big and beautiful. I will probably start recommending this title as the best one for a first read on permaculture. If you've already read classics like Gaia's Garden, or other introductory books, it's probably just an inspirational read.

[Jennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall a great overview; it suffers from the same strange phenomenon as most other permaculture books I've read, though, which is that it doesn't know whether it's talking to a home gardener or someone aspiring to be a permaculture designer. Still, it's a good read to get plenty of ideas going.

[Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite permaculture titles due to the color photos for inspiration and lots of examples of possible layouts. Plus the section on rain barrels and water containment is excellent!

[dihuta · Rating 5 out of 5]

So wonderful, so detailed

The information is too detailed, complete and rich. Illustrations are clear and professional. The knowledge shared by the author is very in-depth and practical.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic, read it for my college class on this topic.

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Will not finish. I didn't get past the explanation of the philosophy behind it. I want more interested in the process and planning aspects.

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great introduction to permaculture with clear explanations and illustrations. I highly recommend it.