Edible Landscaping with a Permaculture Twist: How to Have Your Yard and Eat It Too: Michael Judd: 0884271693082: Amazon.com: Books
Follow the Author
Michael Judd
+ Follow
Michael Judd
+ Follow
Edible Landscaping with a Permaculture Twist is a how-to manual for the budding gardener and experienced green thumb alike, full of creative and easy-to-follow designs that guide you to having your yard and eating it, too.
With the help of more than 200 beautiful color photos and drawings, permaculture designer and avid grower Michael Judd takes the reader on a step-by-step process to transform a sea of grass into a flourishing edible landscape that pleases the eye as well as the taste buds.
With personality and humor, he translates the complexities of permaculture design into simple self-build projects, providing full details on the evolving design process, material identification, and costs.
Chapters cover:
Herb Spirals
Food Forests
Raised-Bed Gardens
Earthen Ovens
Uncommon Fruits
Outdoor Mushroom Cultivation, and more . . .
The book’s colorful pages are filled with practical designs that Judd has created and built over years of workshops, homesteading, and running an edible landscaping business. Though geared toward suburban gardeners starting from scratch, the book's designs can be easily grafted to the micro-habits of the urban landscape, scaled up to the acreage of homesteads, or adapted to already flourishing landscapes. Edible Landscaping with a Permaculture Twist is a tool to spark and inform the imagination of anyone with a desire to turn their landscape into a luscious and productive edible Eden.
-----------
Herb Spirals
Food Forests
Raised-Bed Gardens
Earthen Ovens
Uncommon Fruits
Outdoor Mushroom Cultivation, and more . . .
The book’s colorful pages are filled with practical designs that Judd has created and built over years of workshops, homesteading, and running an edible landscaping business. Though geared toward suburban gardeners starting from scratch, the book's designs can be easily grafted to the micro-habits of the urban landscape, scaled up to the acreage of homesteads, or adapted to already flourishing landscapes. Edible Landscaping with a Permaculture Twist is a tool to spark and inform the imagination of anyone with a desire to turn their landscape into a luscious and productive edible Eden.
-----------
Edible Landscaping with a Permaculture Twist: How to Have Your Yard and Eat It Too Paperback – December 16, 2013
by Michael Judd (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars 106 customer reviews
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Michael Judd has worked with agro-ecological and whole-system designs throughout the Americas for nearly two decades, focusing on applying permaculture and ecological design.
His projects increase local food security and community health in both tropical and temperate growing regions. He is the founder of Ecologia Edible & Ecological Landscape Design and Project Bona Fide, an international nonprofit supporting agro-ecology research.
Michael lives with his wife, Ashley, in Frederick, Maryland, where they are creating a permaculture homestead. They are building a circular straw bale home and expecting a baby ninja by the end of 2013.
---------------
Product details
Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: Ecologia; 1st edition (December 16, 2013)
-------------------
106 customer reviews
4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5 stars
Read reviews that mention
highly recommend michael judd growing mushrooms permaculture books get started fun read food forest herb garden suburban homeowner pizza oven front yard great photos book really fruit tree recommend this book beautifully illustrated easy to read really enjoyed step by step herb spirals
Showing 1-8 of 106 reviews
Top Reviews
crazybooknerd
5.0 out of 5 starsFABULOUS book for the smaller scale home gardener who values aesthetics in the garden as much as habitat and function
May 20, 2016
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
I really really really love this book! I found it at the library along with many of the other popular permaculture books you find on Amazon. After a couple months of reviewing them all, I found myself continuously just going back to this one as reference. We're just putting in our first permaculture garden, in a house we just moved into, and this one just seemed to be the most practical with the most useful info for a small scale permaculture home gardener.
While there are other great books, I find that a lot of them are just completely not useful for our needs due to the scale of the designs and projects that they focus on. Many are for properties several acres or more. We have about 1/3 acre to make into a garden, in the middle of a subdivision. This one is really helping us figure out how to blend two different things that we want in our yard: a beautiful, ornamental communal/hang out space and herb garden right up against the house; and then from there going back to a food forest with espalier fruit trees and berry bushes lining the entire perimeter of our yard, providing food as well as privacy from our neighbors.
If you're looking for a how-to on setting up a large scale homestead with grazing land, barns, etc. then there are other books that will be useful for you. But for the small scale (<1 acre lot), this is the most practical permaculture book that I found, and I recommend it above the others.
One last thing. Part of what I *don't* like about some of the permaculture books, is the total chaos seen in the demonstration pics included.
Michael lives with his wife, Ashley, in Frederick, Maryland, where they are creating a permaculture homestead. They are building a circular straw bale home and expecting a baby ninja by the end of 2013.
---------------
Product details
Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: Ecologia; 1st edition (December 16, 2013)
-------------------
106 customer reviews
4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5 stars
Read reviews that mention
highly recommend michael judd growing mushrooms permaculture books get started fun read food forest herb garden suburban homeowner pizza oven front yard great photos book really fruit tree recommend this book beautifully illustrated easy to read really enjoyed step by step herb spirals
Showing 1-8 of 106 reviews
Top Reviews
crazybooknerd
5.0 out of 5 starsFABULOUS book for the smaller scale home gardener who values aesthetics in the garden as much as habitat and function
May 20, 2016
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
I really really really love this book! I found it at the library along with many of the other popular permaculture books you find on Amazon. After a couple months of reviewing them all, I found myself continuously just going back to this one as reference. We're just putting in our first permaculture garden, in a house we just moved into, and this one just seemed to be the most practical with the most useful info for a small scale permaculture home gardener.
While there are other great books, I find that a lot of them are just completely not useful for our needs due to the scale of the designs and projects that they focus on. Many are for properties several acres or more. We have about 1/3 acre to make into a garden, in the middle of a subdivision. This one is really helping us figure out how to blend two different things that we want in our yard: a beautiful, ornamental communal/hang out space and herb garden right up against the house; and then from there going back to a food forest with espalier fruit trees and berry bushes lining the entire perimeter of our yard, providing food as well as privacy from our neighbors.
If you're looking for a how-to on setting up a large scale homestead with grazing land, barns, etc. then there are other books that will be useful for you. But for the small scale (<1 acre lot), this is the most practical permaculture book that I found, and I recommend it above the others.
One last thing. Part of what I *don't* like about some of the permaculture books, is the total chaos seen in the demonstration pics included.
While I like a garden that looks more "wild and whimsical" and for sure stay away from straight rows and ordered, highly-groomed landscaping; I also want something that is aesthetically beautiful, especially right up against the house. Basically, I like the English Country Garden look...everything exploding in coordinated flowers and colors, in soft soothing tones. I don't like looking out and just seeing what looks like a bunch of dried weeds and mishmash everywhere. I know a huge part of permaculture is biodiversity, and that's important. With Edible Landscaping, I believe I can achieve both. For example, at the base of every fruit tree I learned we should plant "plant guilds" composed of 4 different types of plants that will benefit and nourish the tree while attracting beneficial insects to kill the "bad guy" insects. In a lot of the permaculture books these guilds just look like a bunch of random weeds and/or plants, but in this book, I see diagrams of plants that aesthetically blend well together creating a more intentional look.
Anyway, the summary is that with the help of this book, I believe that I'll be able to achieve EVERYTHING of what I want--a closed ecosystem that self-sustains and provides habitat for all the wonderful birds and critters I hope to invite, a food garden that doesn't require the input of outside fertilizers etc, and a food garden that over time will feed the household. And all on a semi-small urban lot!
Read less
24 people found this helpful
----------------------------
Comment Report abuse
Life Healer
5.0 out of 5 starsGreat sustainable gardening plans and ideas!
February 14, 2014
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
I've been gardening for a number of years (I'll decline to share how many) and have a pretty large collection of gardening and landscape books. Most of the newer books I look at just have a more modern twist on the same old tried and true principals that have been around forever, maybe with some updated pretty photos for explanation and motivation.
Anyway, the summary is that with the help of this book, I believe that I'll be able to achieve EVERYTHING of what I want--a closed ecosystem that self-sustains and provides habitat for all the wonderful birds and critters I hope to invite, a food garden that doesn't require the input of outside fertilizers etc, and a food garden that over time will feed the household. And all on a semi-small urban lot!
Read less
24 people found this helpful
----------------------------
Comment Report abuse
Life Healer
5.0 out of 5 starsGreat sustainable gardening plans and ideas!
February 14, 2014
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
I've been gardening for a number of years (I'll decline to share how many) and have a pretty large collection of gardening and landscape books. Most of the newer books I look at just have a more modern twist on the same old tried and true principals that have been around forever, maybe with some updated pretty photos for explanation and motivation.
This book surprised me. I learned some new things, and got new ideas. I especially love that Judd focuses on sustainability and (almost but not quite more important) low maintenance gardening ideas and planting suggestions. This book has great photos, clear instructions and even has recipes for drinks using the edible fruits you harvest. Judd has an easy going approach to his writing that is interspersed with humor. You could totally see yourself leaning on a shovel conversing with him about beneficials and compost - or, if you follow his suggestions, you'd more likely be chatting while relaxing in a hammock with a drink! I've already recommended this book to several of my gardening friends. Great stuff!!
17 people found this helpful
Helpful
Comment Report abuse
J. Daniels
4.0 out of 5 stars
17 people found this helpful
Helpful
Comment Report abuse
J. Daniels
4.0 out of 5 stars
Less so a landscaping book, more a Permaculture techniques guide.
October 31, 2018
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
I love Permaculture and Edible Landscaping, but this book is geared much more towards Permaculture. It's focused on a few techniques used in Permaculture setups such as Hugelkultur and swales. Other than the few methods it covers to create a sustainable food system, it doesn't offer much in the way of actually landscaping or utilizing certain plants to create a pleasing aesthetic which is one of the odder (but understandable) complaints I hear about Food Forests. If you're looking for a book to give you a list of attractive flowers, shrubs, etc. with multiple functions other than just being pretty, this probably isn't for you. If you're looking to implement low input food gardens, have a curiosity about how to use mushrooms to clean your water runoff, or what is and how to sheet mulch, this is a good book for you.
October 31, 2018
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
I love Permaculture and Edible Landscaping, but this book is geared much more towards Permaculture. It's focused on a few techniques used in Permaculture setups such as Hugelkultur and swales. Other than the few methods it covers to create a sustainable food system, it doesn't offer much in the way of actually landscaping or utilizing certain plants to create a pleasing aesthetic which is one of the odder (but understandable) complaints I hear about Food Forests. If you're looking for a book to give you a list of attractive flowers, shrubs, etc. with multiple functions other than just being pretty, this probably isn't for you. If you're looking to implement low input food gardens, have a curiosity about how to use mushrooms to clean your water runoff, or what is and how to sheet mulch, this is a good book for you.
This book didn't fill the gap in my knowledge I was hoping for, but it reinforces other information for people looking to create healthy, holistic, and sustainable food-bearing landscapes to enjoy.
One person found this helpful
------------------
Edward Earl Greer
4.0 out of 5 starsGreat start for permaculture
March 27, 2014
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Liked the way the book was written. I have a small collection of permaculture books. This book skips the theory and gets directly to what a lot of novice permaculturists want to know to get started. Has a lot of great photos and drawings with easy to follow directions to get started. The author created his garden in Maryland with similar conditions to my area in northern Va was helpful for me. Most of the permaculture books I read take place in northern climates so their choice of plants may not work for my area. But if you read these books, you would know it's a trial and error thing, finding what works best in your setup.
13 people found this helpful
-----------------
Michelle Salois
5.0 out of 5 stars
One person found this helpful
------------------
Edward Earl Greer
4.0 out of 5 starsGreat start for permaculture
March 27, 2014
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Liked the way the book was written. I have a small collection of permaculture books. This book skips the theory and gets directly to what a lot of novice permaculturists want to know to get started. Has a lot of great photos and drawings with easy to follow directions to get started. The author created his garden in Maryland with similar conditions to my area in northern Va was helpful for me. Most of the permaculture books I read take place in northern climates so their choice of plants may not work for my area. But if you read these books, you would know it's a trial and error thing, finding what works best in your setup.
13 people found this helpful
-----------------
Michelle Salois
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very practical, very clear. Almost like permaculture for dummies.
July 16, 2014
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
I've read several Permaculture books now and
July 16, 2014
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
I've read several Permaculture books now and
this would be the one I'd recommend as a first book to someone who doesn't care about all the science behind it, nor all the principles of design, and just wants to jump ahead to implementation on a urban or suburban yard.
Very easy to read, easy to understand, great photos and diagrams & illustrations. It is not an introduction to permaculture but an action plan for the urban or suburban homeowner. A unique aspect is it has lots of recipes for cocktails and even to make wine. I think it was a mistake to include the making of the cob oven when he could have used the space to tell about chickens, or about vertical elements to grow more food in less space while stacking functions such as shade and moderating sun or wind on the house, or about building water features. Hopefully he'll drop the oven chapter and add some of these others in his second edition!
7 people found this helpful
------------
7 people found this helpful
------------
