You don’t need to move off-grid or buy a farm to start living more sustainably. In fact, most of what you need is probably already around you — a yard, a verge, a balcony, or even just a sunny patch of ground. Here are five practical, proven ways to begin your permaculture garden right where you are:
🥕 1. Start with Compost
Before planting anything, feed the soil. A compost pile is the fastest, cheapest way to improve fertility and reduce waste. Use what you have — leaves, food scraps, weeds — and stack it into a pile. The hot compost method (featured in the book) can give you finished compost in as little as 18–30 days.
Tip: Don’t wait for the “perfect setup.” Just begin with one pile in a shady corner.
💧 2. Catch and Store Water
Every garden needs water — but in permaculture, we try to slow it, spread it, and sink it. Use buckets, barrels, or a tank to catch rainwater. Redirect greywater from your shower or washing machine into mulch pits or tree basins. You don’t need plumbing — just gravity, awareness, and a bit of hose.
Bonus: Less water runoff means less erosion and more soil life.
🌱 3. Plant Where You Walk
One of the simplest design tools in permaculture is placing things where you already go. Start near your kitchen door or along your usual walking path. A few herbs, leafy greens, or even tomatoes in containers can thrive in these “zone 1” spaces — and you’ll actually use them.
The more often you see a plant, the better you’ll care for it.
🌾 4. Mulch Everything
Mulch is your garden’s blanket. It protects the soil, holds moisture, and feeds the life underground. Use what’s free: grass clippings, dry leaves, shredded cardboard. Lay it thick — at least 5cm — and top it up regularly.
Mulch turns chaos into calm — and bare soil into a sponge.
🐛 5. Observe Before You Act
Before digging or planting, spend time watching your space. Where does the sun fall in winter? Where does water pool after rain? What’s already growing wild? Take notes, draw sketches, and don’t rush.
In Suburban Permaculture: A Handbook, we talk about starting with patterns — not products.
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This blog post is based on Chapter 1 of Suburban Permaculture: A Handbook, a practical guide to building low-maintenance, productive systems in small urban spaces.
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