If you’ve ever looked at your garden and thought, “There must be a better way to do this,” you’re not wrong. Permaculture isn’t just about plants; it’s about principles that help you design smarter, live lighter, and grow more with less. Here are 7 practical design principles you can start applying today, whether you're in a tiny courtyard or a full-sized suburban block.
🌱 1. Observe and Interact
Before you change anything, watch. Notice how the sun moves, where water flows, which spots thrive without effort. Your garden is already speaking. Are you listening?
♻️ 2. Catch and Store Energy
Think rain tanks, solar panels, compost heaps. Energy is everywhere, you just need a system to hold onto it. Start small. Even saving kitchen scraps for your compost is energy storage.
🌀 3. Obtain a Yield
Every part of your space should give something back, whether it’s herbs, fruit, firewood, or joy. If it doesn’t give a yield, ask why it’s there.
🔄 4. Apply Self-Regulation and Accept Feedback
If something isn’t working, change it. If your beds are too far to water easily, move them. Permaculture is flexible. Your garden should evolve as your needs change.
🔧 5. Use and Value Renewable Resources
Wood chips, grass clippings, mulch from leaves, the waste around you is actually wealth. Say goodbye to single-use and start looping resources back into your garden.
💡 6. Design from Patterns to Details
Start big, zoom in later. Think about your daily movements, the layout of sun and shade, the shape of your land. Then decide where the beds and barrels go.
👣 7. Use Small and Slow Solutions
Don’t rush to convert your whole yard overnight. Plant a guild. Start a worm bin. Take one step and observe. Slow is sustainable.
📘 Want to learn more?
This post is based on Chapter 3: Design Principles in Suburban Permaculture: A Handbook. It’s full of simple, practical ways to design a system that works with you.
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