What is Permaculture?

'Permaculture' is a term that was came about in the mid-seventies, by 2 Australians, David Holmgren and Bill Mollinson, to describe the design system pioneered as a response to what they, and may others globally, saw as serious challenges to the survival of our planet.

The word 'permaculture' was derived from two words 'PERMAnent agriCULTURE'.

Since it began, permaculture has developed beyond its aims of addressing strategies to create sustainable food production, to become a worldwide movement encompassing all aspects of how we as humans can live harmoniously with our Earth and her finate resources.

There are different ways to describe what Permaculture does, and we have come across

A couple that sum it up well.

The first is :

'Permaculture is about creating sustainable human habitats
by following natures patterns'

Although permacultures origins are in gardening techniques, it goes far deeper that just gardening, although, gardening is an important aspect of permaculture's approach.

If you think that you need to have a large plot of land to be able to 'do' permaculture, then think again. You don't even need to have a garden, a window sill will be a great place to start. Permaculture is based on common sense and logic, and EVERYONE can live a permaculture lifestyle, whatever their situation or budget.

Another phrase we like, that describes permaculture is-

'Permaculture - revolution disguised as organic gardening'
(Permaculture - a beginners guide by Graham Burnett)

Another way of describing permaculture is as a design system, looking at the placement of different elements in relation to each other in order to maximise their efficiency , creating a self-sustaining system with a high out-put/low in-put, non exploiting whole.