Permaculture Design: A Step-by-Step Guide: Aranya, Patrick Whitefield: 8601404349867: Amazon.com: Books

Permaculture Design: A Step-by-Step Guide: Aranya, Patrick Whitefield: 8601404349867: Amazon.com: Books-

Are you excited about permaculture but unclear how to put it into practice for yourself? In this unique, full colour guide, experienced permaculture teacher Aranya leads you through the design process from beginning to end, using clear explanations, flowcharts and diagrams. It is based on course worksheets which have been designed, refined and tested on students over time. Linking theory to practice, he places the ethics, principles, philosophies, tools and techniques directly into the context of the process itself. While written for anyone with a basic grasp of permaculture, this book also has plenty to offer the more experienced designer.

This guide covers:  Systems and patterns ~ Working as part of a design team ~ Land and non-land based design ~ Design frameworks ~ Site surveying and map making ~ Interviewing clients ~ Working with large client groups ~ Identifying functions ~ Choosing systems and elements ~ Placement and integration ~ Creating a design proposal ~ Project management ~ Presenting your ideas to clients ~ and much more.

A great reference for anyone who has done, or is thinking of doing, any kind of permaculture course.

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Permaculture Design: A Step-by-Step Guide Paperback – September 3, 2012
by Aranya (Author), Patrick Whitefield (Foreword)
4.1 out of 5 stars 48 customer reviews




Editorial Reviews

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"Permaculture Design offers the reader a full look at the design process from team formation and management to client interview to data gathering to analysis. It goes on to give guidance for presenting proposals, managing implementation (including time management), and evaluating results. Filling an important and largely empty niche, it deserves to be in the hands (or in the back pocket or handbag) of every serious designer. The book is a major addition to the permaculture literature by a deeply insightful and generous author. Highly recommended."--Peter Bane, author of The Permaculture Handbook



"Teaching/learning how to do permaculture design work takes a lifetime and, as we usually only have people for 2 weeks (and there is plenty else to do) that's a big challenge. Generally we can only provide a broad-brush overview of a design process and then a sketchy (but useful) go-though to ground the information. That's usually much more than a person knew about before they came and yet there are a million questions that the novice so rightly needs to ask. Here, in this packed volume, there is a wealth of techniques and strategies for the newbie and the not so newbie alike. I am enjoying the read and I am recommending this book to all my students at Gaia University. Thanks for gathering all this together Aranya and thanks for explaining it all in your clear, informal and yet complete style."--Andy Langford, permaculture teacher and founder of Gaia University



"For most people, taking the permaculture design course is a major life event. It opens the door on a new way of looking at the world, a new way of being in the world. It affects you on so many levels that, however well you took notes, inevitably some of what you learnt passes you by. That's why Aranya wrote this book: so that people could go away from the design courses he teaches and have a reference to the design methods he'd taught them. In effect it's a toolbox of permaculture design methods. Some people keep their tools in a higgldy-piggledy pile, chipped, blunt and uncared for. Others keep them in perfect order in a neat box, each one in its place, oiled, sharpened and ready to go. Aranya is one of the latter and this book reflects the keen clarity of his mind. Open its pages and you can put your finger right on the design tool you need, from triangulation to the enticingly-named desire lines. It's all there, described and illustrated, clearly and comprehensively."--Patrick Whitefield, author of The Earth Care Manual, and How to Make a Forest Garden


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About the Author




Aranya has been experimenting with what permaculture can do since his design course epiphany in 1996. In the years that followed he designed a collection of gardens, along with a few other non-land based designs, writing them all up to gain his Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design 2003. Since that time he's followed a teaching pathway, that now involves delivering on average ten two-week design courses a year. Along the way he's met many amazing people that give him hope for the future and who in no small way have influenced the content of this guide. Aranya is also a long-term barefooter, certain that this helps him be more aware of nature, stay grounded and walk lightly on the Earth. He is the author of Permaculture Design: A Step-by-Step Guide.




Product details

Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Permanent Publications; Reprint edition (September 3, 2012)
Language: English
48 customer reviews
4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5 stars

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Showing 1-8 of 48 reviews
Top Reviews

CelVel
1.0 out of 5 starsNOT the "step by step" practical guide that I was looking for.... very disappointedAugust 26, 2016
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This is definitely NOT what I thought it would be. The only diagram/layout is the one on the cover. This book is about a lot of esoteric babble that goes off into tangents about balancing your life, and blah blah blah. I just wanted something that showed me where to put which plants to achieve a certain effect. (IE: here's a "step-by-step guide" to making a shade garden.....) yeahhhhh, THIS is not the right book for me. I will be donating it to the local library. :(

32 people found this helpful

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danny
5.0 out of 5 starsStep by Step Indeed!August 14, 2017
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Permaculture Design by Aranya fulfills the purpose that the author intended for the book: to be a straightforward guide that you can pick up and read just the section you need or all of it. Each chapter is well-written and uses plain language anyone can grasp. The parts, chapters, sections organization of the book makes it easy to find what you're looking for, and I appreciated the many online resources provided as well.

The book is a bit of a slow read if have already read Permaculture: A Designer's Manual by Bill Mollison, and that would indicate Aranya took sufficient time to explain the basics to someone with no prior knowledge of permaculture. There is redundancy in the book, but again, this book is meant for anyone to be able to read in any order, so yeah, I think the author's objective for the book was accomplished.

I did learn some new things from this book, too, so I find my time and money was well-spent on this book.

4 people found this helpful

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Montims
5.0 out of 5 starsAn excellent guide for the beginnerJuly 2, 2015
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This is an excellent guide for the beginner - permaculture design can be daunting, but this talks you through each step, in a clear and humorous way, with lots of examples.

3 people found this helpful

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Rai R
5.0 out of 5 starsOur friend loved the book and read it in a dayJanuary 25, 2017
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Our friend loved the book and read it in a day! He is excited about how detailed and well laid out the information was put.

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jeremeyweeks
5.0 out of 5 starsA nuts and bolts book about permaculture designJanuary 3, 2014
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

So many permaculture books don't get specific. This book is all about prepping your design for the customer. It shows techniques, helps you manage your team and gives lots of resources.

This book should cost a lot more.

3 people found this helpful

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Vincent VPK
5.0 out of 5 starsWill Save you over and over again.January 26, 2013
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I can not say enough about this handy small paperback (to be carried about) that this generous man put together to provide us with a "map" to the permaculture design process in a logical thoughtful manner.
This book is meant to be used out in the field and crimped up....a working tool and having taken a design course is worth every penny and more. I bought several copies and plan to share them with other...you will too.
It is top quality heavy gloss paper (FCS sustainable certified) with color photos.
Aranya provided an index to other references and even a website of his own that provides larger pictures in the book, along with much more.
One of the best Permaculture books I have (along with Peter Bane's new book, "Garden Farming for Town and Country". Buy both at the same time and also view these two on Youtube for a at home permaculture course.

8 people found this helpful

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Terra Kosako
4.0 out of 5 starsA good book to have on the shelf for referenceAugust 29, 2018
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

A good book to have on the shelf for reference ....


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Steve
5.0 out of 5 starsThoroughly enjoying this textMarch 23, 2013
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I have just finished a six week introductory course in permaculture. This text is an excellent follow up to that experience. Aranya has distilled much of what I was exposed to making for a efficient reference tool. This text has served as an excellent resource as I start implementing the concepts I learned in the course.
I highly recommend it for those starting out as I did. My sense is that it would useful to experienced practitioners as well.

The Resilient Farm and Homestead: An Innovative Permaculture and Whole Systems Design Approach: Ben Falk: 8601200664270: Amazon.com: Books

The Resilient Farm and Homestead: An Innovative Permaculture and Whole Systems Design Approach: Ben Falk: 8601200664270: Amazon.com: Books

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Publishers Weekly-



STARRED REVIEW: "This intelligent, challenging book, rooted somewhere between back-to-the-land idealism and radical survivalism, sees resilience as both planting and building for the use of future generations, but also as preparing food, water, shelter, and the human body and psyche for the onset of any imaginable extreme emergency. The result is a comprehensive, open-ended, theoretical and practical system for a post-carbon-dependent life―including site design; water and earthworks; perennial farming that integrates gardening, animal husbandry, and soil building; energy; architecture; and personal health―a system that is not only sustainable but restorative of the biosphere. Readers just dipping their toes into sustainability may be overwhelmed by Falk’s comprehensive vision and intimidating appendices listing homestead vulnerabilities and crucial skills for emergencies, but more seasoned 21st-century homesteaders, permies, and possibly also survivalists will appreciate Falk’s realism and his belief that 'the process is an enjoyable, vitalizing one, and the results are staggering and humbling ... life wants to live.'"



Foreword Reviews-

"Permaculture can seem like a too-large umbrella term attempting to bring together a range of concepts and strategies, and many authors have tried to articulate the discipline in an accessible way. Ben Falk stands out for this highly successful effort at addressing how farmers and homesteaders can select, design, develop, and manage resilient properties that adapt to changing environmental conditions.

Bringing his decade of experience managing a ten-acre permaculture farm in Vermont, as well as teaching about whole-systems design, Falk conveys the importance of better-designed agriculture and systems in The Resilient Farm and Homestead. Going beyond how-to advice on vegetable growing or chicken coop management, he delves into topics like fuel wood production, nutrient-dense food production, and gravity-fed water systems, which rely on moving water downhill instead of utilizing mechanical pumps. Natural strategies are emphasized, like silvopasture, a practice that combines livestock grazing and forestry to enhance soil protection and provide wind protection for animals.

The material, seemingly overwhelming in scope, is presented artfully with numerous sidebars and bullet points that break information into digestible chunks. For example, a chapter on food production includes a chart on annual vs. perennial labor and input costs, a diagram of a “living security fence” made of black locust trees, and a list of storage options for harvested vegetables. Particularly compelling are a number of appendices, from a “resiliency aptitude quiz” to a crucial skill list for emergencies to a vocabulary of concepts.

Also useful, the book’s abundant photography presents a bucolic, serene series of images that make urban dwellers sigh with longing. Burlap sacks brimming with potatoes grace one page, while a lush summer garden pops from another. Farm volunteers are shown picking elderberries, raising a timber-framed wall, and grafting fruit trees. Falk also includes plenty of practical illustrations as well, such as a drawing of how to grow rice in buckets, or a diagram of a wood-heated hot water system.

The combination of these inspiring images and Falk’s deeply integrative approach provide a much-needed permaculture guide that will likely kick off an array of reader projects. The mix of resources, practical advice, and land design offered here is a strong starting point for anyone interested in regenerative agriculture and modern homesteading."



"With The Resilient Farm and Homestead, Ben Falk has definitely planted the seeds of a positive, abundant legacy. This book outlines the process of designing one's homestead with not just the future in mind, but the imminently practical NOW! This one is going on my shelf next to Helen and Scott Nearing."--Mark Shepard, author of Restoration Agriculture



"Ben Falk extends the conversation about resilience to deep resilience--resilience from the level of personal attitudes and skills to the design and creation of the maximally resilient homestead.The Resilient Farm and Homestead weaves together permaculture theory as modified by actual practice on a ten-acre Vermont farm with a thorough preparedness guide for times of climate change and greater uncertainties of all kinds and sizes. The book is greatly enhanced by numerous glorious photos of permaculture plantings as hedge rows, rice paddies, people swimming in swale-enclosed ponds, fruit and vegetable harvesting, and foraging sheep, chickens, and ducks. I particularly appreciate that Falk tells us what didn't work as well as what did. This book will be essential reading for the serious prepper as well as for everyone interested in creating a more resilient lifestyle or landscape."--Carol Deppe, author of The Resilient Gardener: Food Production and Self-Reliance in Uncertain Times



"Imagine. Honoring biodiversity in a place we each commit to for the long haul is what it takes to address a rapidly changing climate. Problem solved! Plant trees, let greenness thrive, learn the ways of fungi, be joyful. Ben Falk provides the encouragement and critical know-how to create your own food-producing sanctuary in The Resilient Farm and Homestead. The time is now to engage in healing the land and secure an ongoing future for generations to come."--Michael Phillips, author of The Holistic Orchard



"The Resilient Farm and Homestead is a terrific book. Simultaneously inspiring and practical, Ben Falk takes you from the why to the how...a journey where you will create a present and future filled with optimism and joy."--Shannon Hayes, author of Long Way on a Littleand Radical Homemakers



"In The Resilient Farm and Homestead, Ben Falk gives us a delightful and inspiring description of his years developing a 10-acre permaculture farm in the Green Mountains of Vermont. Readers from regions outside New England, however, should not assume that Falk’s practical, hard-won knowledge will not apply to them. His discussions invariably transcend the specific applications revealing principles which should be useful to homesteaders everywhere."--Larry Korn, editor of The One-Straw Revolution and Sowing Seeds in the Desert by Masanobu Fukuoka



"Ben Falk calls his book about reviving a wornout hill farm in Vermont an example of resilience and regeneration; I call it pure natural magic. Grow rice in New England? Yes. Heat water to 155 degrees F on cold winter days at a rate of gallon a minute by piping it through a compost pile? Yes. How about dinner tonight of your own rack of lamb garnished with homegrown mushrooms? Yes. Your choice of scores of different vegetables and fruits even in winter? Yes. Plus, your own dairy products from your own sheep. All the while, the soil producing this magic, on a site once thought little more than a wasteland, grows yearly more fertile and secure from natural calamity."--Gene Logsdon, author of A Sanctuary of Trees and Small-Scale Grain Raising


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About the Author




Ben Falk, M.A.L.D, developed Whole Systems Design, LLC, as a land-based response to biological and cultural extinction and the increasing separation between people and elemental things. Life as a designer, builder, ecologist, tree-tender, and backcountry traveler continually informs Ben's integrative approach to developing landscapes and buildings. His home landscape and the WSD studio site in Vermont's Mad River Valley serve as a proving ground for the innovative land developments featured in the projects of Whole Systems Design. Ben has studied architecture and landscape architecture at the graduate level and holds master of arts in landscape design degree. He has taught design courses at the University of Vermont and Harvard's Arnold Arboretum as well as on permaculture design, microclimate design, and design for climate change. He recently served on the board of directors at the Yestermorrow Design-Build School, where he also teaches from time to time. He is the author of The Resilient Homestead: Innovative Permaculture Systems for the Home and Farm.

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Product details

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing; n edition (June 3, 2013)
Language: English
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ben falk highly recommend farm and homestead resilient farmwell written sepp holzer great book bill mollison rice paddiesclimate change fantastic book good information anyone who wantstheory and practice small farm great resource information in this bookrecommend this book several years permaculture principles


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N. Anderson
5.0 out of 5 starsThe best permaculture book to start withJune 8, 2013
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

The title really says it all. For those unfamiliar with the concept, permaculture, as defined in this work, is "applied disturbance ecology". The fundamental idea being that working with the land allows an optimized native ecosystem which is productive, supports life, and requires minimal maintenance. The term was first proposed by Bill Mollison and Dave Holmgren and first published in book form in Permaculture One: A Perennial Agricultural System for Human Settlements, and more extensively fleshed out in Permaculture: A Designers' Manual, but these are the kinds of works which beg for explanation. They are full of practical advice, plans and drawings for homestead design, water usage, and crop selection, but for all their visionary qualities, Mollison and Holmgren are not as organized or easy to follow as many would like. Additionally, the practical examples, with before and after pictures, and case studies demonstrating effectiveness are minimal in those works. This, I think, is the reason for the explosion of works like Shephard's Restoration Agriculture, and Hemenway's Gaia's Garden. This work is very much in the same tradition, but I liked it better than either of those.
The first chapter is a "why permaculture?" discussion. It hits the high points of Mollison's idea, and though it doesn't say much you won't find elsewhere, it is clearly written and provides a solid foundation to the rest of the book. The second chapter discusses the design process, how to go about planning the transformation of a plot of land into a permacultured homestead. In this, it summarizes prior works, but does so every bit as extensively as the one dedicated work I've read on the subject: Permaculture Design: A Step-by-Step Guide. You do not need that book if you have this one. Chapter three is a summary of earth works and water planning, and while not as extensive as Yeoman's Water For Every Farm, it explains well enough that you could forgo that in the short term. It does not discuss contour plowing as extensively as Mark Shephard or Yeoman does. But it will give you the basic ideas behind the process. Chapter four discusses recycling of fertility, composting, and the how to use the cycle of decay and regeneration to benefit every living thing on your homestead. Chapter five discusses food crops, which centers around perennial crops and how to integrate grazing animals, poultry, and plant life to generate yields greater than the sum of the parts. Here again the discussion and the examples are better than in Restoration Agriculture, though some of the choices are tailored specifically to the northern temperate climate of Vermont. Enthusiasts in other climes will need to look elsewhere for specific choices. Intriguingly, the staple crop Mr. Falk grows is rice, and there is some good discussion of why this crop. Certainly unique in American agriculture, which has been solidly dominated by wheat and corn, but probably not as useful to permaculturists in more arid areas. Chapter six discusses fuel, and why wood burning, coupled with energy efficient housing design, is the most ecologically sound choice for a homestead. He also discusses building design, including how to plan for passive water conservation and use. Chapter seven is a "putting it all together" discussion. These chapters are followed with appendixes of tool lists, checklists, and design outlines.
Overall, probably the best introduction to the topic, in a practical sense with examples, that I have read. While the details are specific to his location, it could not be otherwise, and for homesteaders in that climate, it will be even more useful. For those in the Midwest, the practical examples in Restoration Agriculture will be better, but that work is not as clear, nor as good on topics outside crop selection and planting as this one is. Additionally, while details of some aspects of sustainable living are glossed over here, it does not purport to be a self-contained manual to every aspect. For those interested in this topic for the first time, I would recommend this work, followed by Introduction to Permaculture as a starting point. You probably don't need much else if you have imagination, helpful neighbors, some understanding of local ecology, and a desire to experiment. For those already widely read on the subject, this is a solid addition to a permaculture library, demonstrating the feasibility and success of these principles in well photographed detail. Highly recommended.
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Cindy Lynn Anderson
5.0 out of 5 starsIncredible resource! 6 stars out of 5.August 19, 2013
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I've been gardening, homesteading, medium scale farming/ranching in three states (MO, northern CA & NM) and five properties in the past nearly 50 years, have an extensive library, subscribe to several excellent relevant publications, am constantly learning and expanding my skills & horizons. This is, hands down, one of the best, most comprehensive and HELPFUL books of which I am aware. Yes, I have and love resources from John Seymour, Gene Logsdon, Sepp Holzer, Joel Salatin, a HUGE amount of permaculture texts, gardening, homesteading, grass farming, sustainability, etc., WHICH ARE IMMEASURABLY VALUABLE, but this is right up there with the best. I enthusiastically echo several other excellent reviews, but cannot understand the scathingly negative ones. For my purposes, Ben has written a wonderfully refreshing blend of PRACTICAL and possible permaculture homesteading book from his PERSONAL experience. I've plenty of books gathering dust telling me what to do and what should work...but not many willing to admit when it doesn't (particularly the permaculture books). It is concise despite covering an impressive array of material. Not everything that "experienced" old-timers do works equally well in all situations and I appreciate the author's honest reporting of what is or is not working historically and currently on his particular property at various stages of its development/reclamation. It often takes several years of working with a property to get a feel for what it wants and needs in terms of plants, animals, water, amendments...especially if one's experience is with vastly divergent enterprises and climatic challenges. Regardless of what we know (or think we know), one can always learn from others' successes, mistakes, ideas, experience. While most of the charts & graphs were not helpful for my personal learning styles, no doubt other folks loved them. He wisely presented the material in various formats to reach the widest audience. I appreciate Ben's willingess to share their project journey thus far and look forward to his subsequent reports...books.
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L. Buck
5.0 out of 5 starsMind blowing!July 2, 2013
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I am not quite finished with this book. In fact, I keep re-reading the first few chapters. I have several permaculture books, but for some reason this one is combining the theoretical and philosophical with the 'nuts and bolts' in a way that is clear and, most importantly, encouraging and inspiring for ME, on MY property. I have been carrying this book with me everywhere and reading it in digestible bits (there is a LOT there). Mean while, I find I am seeing the world around me in new ways. This book is transforming me from a person who only sits on the couch and reads good books, to a person who is out there actually creating what the books inspire me to dream.

P.S. Everyone in America should read the chapter on systems principles: I have even been applying the ideas to my work place and housework schedule to make the function more appropriately! Not what the author intended, I am sure, but it does speak volumes about applicable nature of the ideas presented.

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Tending the Soul's Garden: Permaculture as a Way Forward in Difficult Times: Denise Rushing: 0880306884739: Amazon.com: Books

Tending the Soul's Garden: Permaculture as a Way Forward in Difficult Times: Denise Rushing: 0880306884739: Amazon.com: Books





Tending the Soul's Garden: Permaculture as a Way Forward in Difficult Times Paperback – February 7, 2012
by Denise Rushing (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars 11 customer reviews





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About the Author


Denise Rushing has been empowering organizational and cultural transformation for over thirty years. She is an environmental engineer, organic grower and permaculture designer. An engineering graduate of Stanford University, she studied environmental science and later earned her Master's Degree in Culture and Spirituality from Holy Names College. Her business career as an energy-efficiency and environmental technology executive spans two decades. More recently, she was elected to public office on a platform of stewardship of the land, water and resources. Today, she "gardens" on her farm, in her community and within organizations. Her personal mission is to empower the positive transformation of people and places through insight, inspiration and permaculture. Visit her on the web at: DeniseRushing.com.


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Paperback: 184 pages
Publisher: Dancing TreePeople Publications (February 7, 2012)
Language: English


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Biography
A three-time #1 bestselling author, engaging speaker and avid treehugger, Denise Rushing is passionate about human-scale solutions to global challenges. She is the founder of New Story Center, dedicated to re-enchanting Planet Earth with a New Story.

An engineering graduate of Stanford University, Ms. Rushing's career in energy technology includes senior executive roles in some of the energy industry's most innovative companies and the launch of award-winning energy efficiency programs modeled by utilities around the world.

Business success notwithstanding, she recognized that humanity’s relationship with Earth’s living systems required a deeper response. After earning her Masters in Culture and Spirituality, she co-founded Rockhaven eco-spiritual center and was later elected to serve two terms in local office. She is best known for her environmental advocacy and community revitalization efforts, including championing two of the largest public solar energy installations in the Western United States.

Denise Rushing advises entrepreneurs, innovators and leaders, and she writes and speaks, on a variety of topics including:
-Making a Difference,
-Social and Spiritual Permaculture
-Ecological Design
-The New Story,
-New Economy
-Sustainable Living
-Passion and Purpose
-Social Entrepreneurship
-Renewable Energy

You can contact Denise Rushing via her website www.deniserushing.com or at www.newstorycenter.com.

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Lisa Oliver
5.0 out of 5 starsA system for lifeMay 15, 2012
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

To be honest I thought this book would be about a lot of spiritual dogma and rhetoric. I was so pleasantly surprised to see that wasn't the case. This author has spent a lot of time researching the ideals behind permaculture and has applied them beautifully into a system that anyone can adapt in their own lives. First the author takes you through an honest account of the world we live in and how the neglect and depletion the human species are wrecking on the world impacts our own soul. In particular I loved the story of the candle and how just one small candle can light a room.

The author explains permaculture as having three distinct aspects - ethics, principles and practices. They explain how these three things interact with each other and how these can be used to effect change both in your own life and on a global perspective. Indeed the authors' own personal dream bought tears to my eyes - so simple yet so accessible by anyone.

But as I mentioned earlier this is not just about the theories behind this mode of living, the authors have outlined a complete step by step process on how anyone can use these principles to create their own garden. It includes both practical and spiritual steps that all work together to achieve a positive footprint on this earth. If you follow this book and start small, believe me good things can grow.
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Summer Olsen
5.0 out of 5 starsThe wisdom of mother natureMay 14, 2012
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

This book is a well-written introduction to Permaculture, a set of spiritual principles based on the observation of how the Mother Earth works. These principles are very profound and show you the way to a more harmonious and hassle-free life. By hassle-free, I don't necessarily mean that the stressful outer circumstances would change; rather, the way you react and respond to those circumstances change. As the author points out, we are in a crisis as a species collectively, and this book is a gentle invitation to a more functional way of living and being. Just reading the principles, you can see how your life can be more peaceful and you might even feel youself becoming more peaceful.

Final thought: as far as I understand, Permaculture is a way of living, not necessarily an exclusive and dogmatic spiritual tradition. I think this is compatible with any spiritual tradition you might identify yourself with. If you are at all interested in getting peace of mind, I highly recommend this book. This is a very short and easy read, but the effect of the words on you will be profound.

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Peggy
5.0 out of 5 starslove her beautiful and practical approachJune 16, 2013
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I have read a number of permaculture books and taken classes. Denise brings such insight to the process while encouraging the reader to join her in a personal relationship with nature. She writes, "Returning to the principles of permaculture time and again, we can engage in a way that is life giving, renewing and satisfyng." She also clearly understands and practices the ethics and principles of permaculture.

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Ernest Reader
5.0 out of 5 starsTransformativeNovember 5, 2012
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Excellent book--offers hopeful action for the future. Poetic and practical. Many will be able to relate to the author's issues and will find inspiration in her solution.

4 people found this helpful

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Stuart & Laura Nottingham
4.0 out of 5 starsLoved the systemic approach!April 29, 2013
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a quick read--kept me company on a sick day. The authority draws the connections between our various levels of existence in a simple, yet profound, style!

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Heather Jay
5.0 out of 5 starsLife ContinuityFebruary 13, 2014
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Praising the peaceful way forward!! Read this, get real and move the world and your life forward through peaceful goodness!!

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katb
5.0 out of 5 starsWonderful Read!February 25, 2014
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Great read in these troubled times. Offers real solutions and peace for your soul. I would encourage anyone who loves to grow to read this book.

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Carol M. Bettencourt
5.0 out of 5 starsMade me thinkMarch 6, 2014
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

A thoughtful read. I have to study it more and digest the content. It definitely made me think about life and its complications.

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Permaculture: A Student's Guide to the Theory and Practice of Ecovillage Design: Jan Martin Bang: 9781782501671: Amazon.com: Books

Permaculture: A Student's Guide to the Theory and Practice of Ecovillage Design: Jan Martin Bang: 9781782501671: Amazon.com: Books





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Praise for Jan Bang's previous books on Ecovillages and Eco-communities:

'A comprehensive review for those who seek to initiate an ecovillage or for those in existing community who seek a transformation to a more sustainable way of life.'
– International Communal Studies Association Bulletin

'The book has a clear and anecdotal style, and the details of the worldwide communities keep you inspired.'
– Clean Slate: The Practical Journal of Sustainable Living

'A useful guide if you are considering planning or even joining an ecovillage.'
– Building for a Future: The Independent Journal for Green Building

'A comprehensive guide to the principles and practice of sustainable communities.'
– Scientific and Medical Network Review

'Part life testimony, part textbook for all kinds of sustainable living. An important snapshot of how community life has evolved since the communes of the 1970s. Life-affirming.'
– Camphill Correspondence

'Jan Bang clearly has hands-on experience. This is a veritable source book.'
– New View

'This book weaves together permaculture and ecovillage design as coherent strategies for sustainable living and is full of practical hands-on information as well as inspiration and insight.'
– Permaculture

'Takes an inspiring, serious look at sustainability in alternative communities across the world, Food for thought for anyone wanting to rationalise their carbon footprint.'
– Wave Magazine

'Practical in its approach and with a critical eye, the book paints a vivid picture of a variety of communal lives. For those of us not living in communities, it gives an excellent introduction to the problems faced and the joy in overcoming them.'
– Living Lighty

'If you are part of a community, are thinking of establishing one or just wondered what makes a successful one work, this book will guide you through the thorny issues and how they can be dealt with. An invaluable handbook.'
– Juno Magazine

'A candid, inspiring and practical book - essential reading.'
– Positive News


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About the Author


Jan Martin Bang was born in Norway and educated in England. He has taught Permaculture design for nearly two decades, and has lived in income-sharing communities for twenty-five years, in Israel and Norway. He is a former chair of the International Communal Studies Association, and is a Fellow of the Findhorn Foundation. He lives in rural Norway. His four previous books, Ecovillages, Growing Eco-Communities, Sakhnin, and A Portrait of Camphill, are published by Floris Books.


Product details

Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Floris Books (July 15, 2015)
Language: English

Paradise Lot: Two Plant Geeks, One-Tenth of an Acre, and the Making of an Edible Garden Oasis in the City: Eric Toensmeier, Jonathan Bates: 0884433754064: Amazon.com: Books

Paradise Lot: Two Plant Geeks, One-Tenth of an Acre, and the Making of an Edible Garden Oasis in the City: Eric Toensmeier, Jonathan Bates: 0884433754064: Amazon.com: Books







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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist


With their shared passion for plants and a commitment to creating as self-sustaining a garden as possible on a minuscule lot in a small New England city cursed with a terrible climate and even worse soil, Toensmeier and Bates set about converting their urban backyard into a permaculture paradise. Informed by his work on a seminal, two-volume encyclopedia devoted to the concept of forest gardening, Toensmeier transformed the infertile and debris-laden property behind the duplex he shared with Bates into a natural ecosystem teeming with edible plants. As the authors’ postage-stamp-size front yard morphed into a lush, tropical showcase that astounded their Massachusetts community, the backyard incorporated all the components necessary to produce fresh fruits and vegetables year-round using cold-hardy, mostly native plants that would ideally require a minimum amount of work for a maximum output. As a memoir of a purposeful life, Toensmeier’s work is engaging, honest, and natural. As a directive to other gardeners eager to establish natural ecosystems in unlikely settings, his work is instructive, illuminating, and inspirational. --Carol Haggas
Review




Publishers Weekly-

In this charming, true-life tale of urban regeneration and the birth of a forest garden movement, Toensmeier, famous among permaculture enthusiasts for his Perennial Vegetables and as coauthor of Edible Forest Gardens, tells the story behind the Holyoke, Mass., garden featured as a test case in the latter, which, in the course of eight years, he and Bates transformed from a bare backyard wasteland into a flourishing, edible Eden. In true permaculture fashion, the book follows not only the progression of the garden but also its influence on and relations with its creators’ lives―including a surprisingly Austen-like romantic element―their neighborhood, and the larger permaculture and forest gardening community. Bates, whose nursery business, Food Forest Farm, is an offshoot of this garden, contributes philosophical and personal essays interspersed throughout the narrative. Fans of Toensmeier and Bates’s work will be thrilled to read the details of their experiments with polycultures, their problems with and solutions for pests and overly aggressive plants, and their idiosyncratic plant choices. Adventurous readers with conventional gardens and lawns may be inspired to venture into the more integrated, evolutionary approach that this book so vividly and appealingly portrays.



Booklist-

With their shared passion for plants and a commitment to creating as self-sustaining a garden as possible on a minuscule lot in a small New England city cursed with a terrible climate and even worse soil, Toensmeier and Bates set about converting their urban backyard into a permaculture paradise. Informed by his work on a seminal, two-volume encyclopedia devoted to the concept of forest gardening, Toensmeier transformed the infertile and debris-laden property behind the duplex he shared with Bates into a natural ecosystem teeming with edible plants. As the authors’postage-stamp-size front yard morphed into a lush, tropical showcase that astounded their Massachusetts community, the backyard incorporated all the components necessary to produce fresh fruits and vegetables year-round using cold-hardy, mostly native plants that would ideally require a minimum amount of work for a maximum output. As a memoir of a purposeful life, Toensmeier’s work is engaging, honest, and natural. As a directive to other gardeners eager to establish natural ecosystems in unlikely settings, his work is instructive, illuminating, and inspirational.



Kirkus Reviews-

The front yard was a short, steep slope of asphalt with a tiny strip of sterile gravel and subsoil," write Toensmeier and Bates, with a "backyard that looked like a moonscape, sparely populated with tufts of crabgrass." It was the perfect place to launch their experiment: Could two men with horticultural experience and a love of nature turn a typical compact backyard into a garden full of lush plants and edible food? The authors chronicle their 10-plus years of trials and experiments, as they transformed their "moonscape" into a permaculture of "trees, shrubs, vines, and herbaceous perennials" that produced food at every level. By analyzing their soil and plotting the movement of shade and sun for a year, the authors discovered the prime locations to build a greenhouse and tool shed. They knew where to plant trees and perennials so that they could bring their site to life, and they developed a deeper kinship with the space and with each other. Along the journey, the authors present ideas like sheet mulching, which can transform a lawn into a useful garden plot capable of growing tomatoes and sweet corn in the first year. They also share their thoughts on the plants that can become noxious weeds despite their culinary uses. Toensmeier and Bates discuss both their triumphs and their defeats, as they experimented with chickens, nitrogen fixers, ground covers, numerous kinds of berry bushes and water plants. Although not a how-to guide, the authors give readers plenty of choices and ideas to think about when deciding whether to embark on this kind of gardening.



ForeWord Reviews-

“Urban agriculture is becoming a hot topic in sustainable farming circles as more people become interested in organic foods, healthy eating choices, and environmental topics. Given population densities in some areas, “urban agriculture” might seem like an oxymoron to some, but with careful planning and a sense of adventure, even a tiny plot of land can yield a bumper crop.

Longtime friends Eric Toensmeier and Jonathan Bates certainly demonstrate the type of strategy and passion required for the effort. In their charming, insightful description of their tiny urban garden in Holyoke, Massachusetts, the two cover twelve years of growing, from their initial reaction to seeing the compacted, gravel-edged soil, to the moment when they have to consider the long-term future of their growing families, which likely means leaving their garden paradise.

Along with relaying various missteps and challenges, Toensmeier (with occasional contributions from Bates) layers together their experiences with natural pesticide controls, wild mushroom foraging, city regulations, berry plants, forest gardens, chickens, having girlfriends move in, trellis systems, and an array of other topics.

Dividing the garden’s history into four sections―sleep, creep, leap, and reap― Toensmeier creates a combination of personal memoir and permaculture guide. Filled with insight, but not too technical, he strikes an artful balance between giving useful detail and geeking out on gardening nuances. Although readers who want to learn more about compost and chicken coops may get the most out of their journey, Paradise Lot will still be a delight for someone who can’t even grow a houseplant.

As Toensmeier and Bates demonstrate, it doesn’t take twenty acres to start a garden filled with nourishing vegetables and gorgeous flowers; it just takes some vision, especially if the potential garden is a scruffy urban lot.

Part gardening guide, part personal story, the book is ultimately a call to action, with the pair proclaiming that it doesn’t matter what a patch of land looks like, as long as someone is willing to explore its potential. “We made our little paradise here,” Toensmeier writes. “Imagine what would happen if we as a species paid similar attention to all the degraded and abandoned lands of the world.”



Library Journal-

STARRED REVIEW "Part handbook, part memoir, this book details the evolution of a permaculture garden on an urban lot in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Having spent years describing permaculture gardens in a theoretical manner, Toensmeier (Perennial Vegetables) and his friend Bates (owner, Food Forest Farm Permaculture Nursery) put these theories into practice when they bought and moved into a duplex situated on a 1/10 acre rundown lot. Nearly a decade later, the lot is unrecognizable―a tropical paradise in the front and a wealth of more than 200 edible plants in the back. Toensmeier clearly explains the processes―needless to say, nothing changed overnight―that achieved this near-miracle. VERDICT: The authors’ prose pulls the reader into their lives, sparking a desire to see the result and try this kind of gardening. The appendixes are filled with useful information for readers who may be intrigued enough to create their own paradise. All readers interested in urban renewal or environmental issues will welcome this book."



“Although many of us dream of creating our ideal urban homestead from scratch, the reality is far less pristine: toxic soil, rampant exotic species, outdated codes, and all the other grit of city life. Paradise Lot is a practical manual, based on hard-won lessons, for working positively with the realities of our cities to create a sustainable, peaceful, and abundant oasis in the urban jungle. In this vivid and engaging work, Eric Toensmeier entices us with his journey as an example, explaining what to do, and what mistakes to avoid, to develop our own versions of an edible urban paradise.”--Toby Hemenway, author of Gaia’s Garden



“Our connection to place defines us as gardeners and farmers just as much as the plants we choose to grow. The integration of perennial plantings, microclimate, and natural beauty comes about by listening to the land. What a delight to then have one of America’s preeminent permaculture teachers share his personal story with both place and partner. Sometimes that meaningful insight we need in shaping our own garden path comes from hearing of the successes and foibles other gardeners found on their path. The gift Eric Toensmeier and Jonathan Bates offer in Paradise Lot is their heart for all things green.”--Michael Phillips, author of The Holistic Orchard and The Apple Grower



“Paradise Lot is a magnificent story about how two young broke landless 'plant geeks' transform an urban lot into a permaculture heaven capable of producing all their fruit and vegetables as well as attracting suitable mates. The book is a groundbreaking work on temperate-climate permaculture as well as a personal saga, as the author’s discovery and discussion of the differences between theory and practice goes beyond anything in the current permaculture literature. The book has a lot of information on growing and using various perennial food plants and, of particular value, it includes specific accounts of what didn’t work and why as well as what did. Paradise Lot should be particularly useful to those with small lots or poor or abused soil. Much writing in permaculture is for people with plenty of land and money. This is permaculture for the rest of us. Best of all, Paradise Lot is fun to read. It overflows with love―love of plants, love of land, love of adventuring on the edge of knowledge, and love of living. It’s hard to put down. I read it in two large gulps.”--Carol Deppe, author of The Resilient Gardener and Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties



“Paradise Lot is a timeless classic of urban permaculture in action that clearly shows design evolution over time. This is a true model of the change the world needs.”--Geoff Lawton, founder of Permaculture Research Institute and creator of Greening the Desert



“Just when I figured I had heard it all in growing food, comes a book that makes me realize I don’t know the half of it. Paradise Lot is an amazing, almost unbelievable account of how to grow some 150–200 food- and nitrogen-producing plants on a measly one-tenth of an acre, providing food year round in a cold climate. The authors reveal in great detail how they do this, starting with poor urban backyard soil and using totally organic and permaculture methods. They have raised 400 pounds of perennial fruits and vegetables in addition to many annual vegetables per year in this tiny garden. With more time, knowledge, and labor, they are sure they can produce appreciably more. If you want your imagination challenged and intrigued, this is the book for you. As the authors say, here is proof positive that with proper knowledge and will there is no such thing as food scarcity.”--Gene Logsdon, author of A Sanctuary of Trees and Small-Scale Grain Raising


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Product details

Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing (2013)
Language: English
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107 customer reviews
4.6 out of 5 stars
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Showing 1-8 of 107 reviews
Top Reviews

Zannah Marsh
5.0 out of 5 starsCompelling narrative, excellent permaculture resourceFebruary 8, 2013
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I bought this book because I'm a budding urban gardener curious about permaculture (a sustainable, low maintenance, ecosystem-focused approach to growing food)... and I like a good story. Eric Toensmeier is a self-described "plant geek" and permaculture expert who also co-wrote "Edible Forest Gardens" a 2-volume, 1000+ page epic reference on the theory and practice of permaculture. Unlike EFG, "Paradise Lot" is a comparatively short, accessible, narrative account of Toensmeier's experience turning a barren urban lot in Holyoke, MA into a "food forest."

At the start of the book, Toensmeier and his co-gardener Jonathan Bates (who contributes short essays scattered throughout the book) are single, impoverished, lonely 30-something plant geeks struggling to start a business, find a place to settle down, and get girlfriends. 

Part of the fun and suspense of the book is following their personal stories, which are skillfully and unobtrusively interwoven into the central narrative of the garden. The book is also a terrific introduction to key concepts in permaculture. 

Toensmeier describes the entire process, from selecting and mapping a site to designing the garden, collecting seeds, working the soil, planting, harvesting and even preparing some of the unusual edibles, troubleshooting invasives and dealing with pests. There's lots of juicy details, but the technical information isn't overwhelming. If you're inspired (as I was) to learn more, there are comprehensive lists of resources (books, organizations, suppliers, etc) plus plant lists and garden maps in the book's appendicies.

Toensmeier writes beautifully, with a deeply-felt passion for plants and the natural world. In a broader sense, the book is about being creative, resourceful, and strategic in building a life and community that's both sustainable and satisfying.

Very inspiring! A wonderful book.
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67 people found this helpful

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Frank G. Risalvato
4.0 out of 5 starsTurns traditional concept of "gardening" up on its head - Thanks!May 8, 2014
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Ever since my dream girl and I got married and bought our first house, I couldn't wait to work in the yard and garden. Been through 4 houses now (I hope my last!) and this book made me realize just how I've been doing it ALL WRONG.

In my current home I hired a "Professional landscape designer" (term used loosely as anyone can call themselves such) to help me with the frame work while I filled in areas later. I wound up getting what 90% of landscapers suggest: Tons of garbage Asian plants that are easy to care for but completely unproductive and actually damage the environment by invading natural woods nearby.

My Japanese Privet (Ligustrum), Laurel, and burning bush achieve nothing. I am now considering ripping out about 50 burning bushes that form a hedge and replace with native blueberry. I could have had many pounds of blueberries (which I LOVE) all this time. What was I thinking!

I'm slowly replacing other hedges with native plums, (also a great hedge that keeps kids out) and Elderberry and have begun slowly planting/replacing.

While the author took things to the extreme - to develop a self-contained eco-system - we can all learn from the trails (garden paths) they blazed (mulched).

Great read. But be forewarned - You will want to spit on your backyard and tear everything out when you realize what you've been doing all wrong!
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10 people found this helpful

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Farrardavisrd
4.0 out of 5 stars

Perfect stepping stone for beginner permiesSeptember 24, 2015
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I've been reading, reading, reading any permaculture book I can get my hands on. Ultimately, I am hoping to integrate this type of agriculture and way of living into my family's life so we can lead a more sustainable lifestyle. That being said, I've been completely overwhelmed and not sure where to start-we have 5 acres and I don't want to overwhelm myself! 

This book is a great intro on how to take those first steps in a very practical manner without jumping in too deep. Other books I've read tell me what to do but I really needed it broken down to something a bit more manageable for our lifestyle at the moment (young kids, work, busy, busy, busy...). This book is perfect if you just need a little direction!

7 people found this helpful

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Jennifer Reynolds
3.0 out of 5 stars

Not quite what I expected, but not bad, either.February 12, 2013
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I expected more of the book to actually be devoted to the lot in question, rather than being basically an autobiography of two men who happened to garden in a small urban lot. I expected more of an in depth of: In year one, we planted x y and z and only y thrived. In year two y had grown W feet, etc. etc. I expected more before and after pictures or descriptions of the lot. That being said the book IS all about permaculture and forest gardens (even if the majority is about what happened BEFORE the lot or something tangential about their time on the lot, and not actually about the lot itself) and etc, and I learned more than I would have thought from a biography. I also appreciated that a lot of the plants described in the actual lot section appear to be available for sale on their website (Often I get frustrated about hearing of some great plant that it turns out is virtually unobtainable).

81 people found this helpful

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Stuart & Laura Nottingham
4.0 out of 5 starsGreat account of a permaculture experienceJuly 31, 2013
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. We are just beginning our permaculture journey on a half acre in Omaha, Nebraska. Reading about Paradise Lot provided lots of ideas for what we will try.

The book is very readable and both authors bring their experiences to the pages in different ways. Eric writes more about the methodology, while Jonathan tells more about the personal/emotional experience. At least, this was my perception of their styles.

Overall, a very enjoyable book that is pragmatic and entertaining!

12 people found this helpful

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