Practical Permaculture: for Home Landscapes, Your Community, and the Whole Earth

“Two deeply experienced permaculture designers have encapsulated years of practice in this very hands-on guide. This valuable book will save time, trouble, and effort.” Toby Hemenway, author of Gaia’s Gardens

The concept behind permaculture is simple: take care if the earth and the earth will take care of you. In clear, logical steps Practical Permaculture offers the tools and advice you need to live a life rich in healthy food and renewable resources. Jessi Bloom and Dave Boehnlein, two dynamic leaders in the garden community, explain the basics of permaculture, sharing detailed information on the plants, water, waste, energy, shelter, food, animals, and structures that make up a permaculture landscape. Featuring the fifty most useful plants for permaculture landscapes and filled with real-life examples from all over the world, this invaluable resource will help you turn your property into a sustainable ecosystem.
 

Jessi Bloom is a best-selling author, award-winning ecological landscape designer, and speaker. She owns N.W. Bloom EcoLogical Services, based in the Pacific Northwest, which is known as an innovator and leader in the field of permaculture, sustainable landscape design, construction, and land management. Her work has been recognized by government agencies and industry organizations and makes headlines in national media. She lives near Seattle with her two sons on their permaculture homestead, which is full of functional gardens and rescue animals.

Dave Boehnlein serves as the education director at Bullock’s Permaculture Homestead on Orcas Island, Washington. He is also the principal and a founder of Terra Phoenix Design, and a member of the Cascadia Permaculture Institute. His freelance teaching services are highly sought after by universities, nonprofits, and other organizations. Boehnlein received a diploma in permaculture education from the Permaculture Institute of North America, of which he is now a member and field advisor. Ultimately, he just wants to make the world a better place and eat really good fruit while doing it.

Paul Kearsley, a skilled designer with a passion for art and nature, collaborates with like-minded professionals to create inspiring models of sustainability. He has been an integral part of both institutional- and residential-scale permaculture design companies. As art director for Terra Phoenix Design, he has worked with world-class designers from California to Peru. On a local scale, Paul helped create Homestead Habitats LLC, a landscape contractor that specializes in designing and installing edible landscapes for urban and suburban homes. He currently teaches design courses at Western Washington University's College of Engineering.