Some who are new to the concept of permaculture find the whole thing overwhelming. Looking around online, having heard about permaculture for the first time, it is easy to get information overload.
Cutting through the buzz words and jargon and getting to the heart of things can be important.
There is of course plenty to learn about permaculture in theory and practice but at its heart permaculture is pretty simple. It is a blueprint for the design of lasting systems that help us live in harmony and equality with other people and the natural world.
Permaculture Underpinnings – 3 Core Ethics
Those who have heard vaguely about permaculture often believe it to be something we do in gardens. Perhaps they view it as more or less synonymous with organic gardening.
Permaculture, though, is not only about home food production and gardening for wildlife. It is a movement that espouses a holistic approach that can encompass many situations and many areas of life.
The central ethics of people care, planet care and fair share are the simple yet profound concepts central to permaculture. They are key to creating a ‘permanent agriculture’ and, more broadly, ‘permanent culture’ that can stand the test of time.
Bringing things back to these three simple ideas – that we should value and be kind to other people, and to our planet home, and that we should ensure fair share, can help ground beginners in a sea of more complex information.
Transitioning from Theory to Practice
Many people are introduced to permaculture through reading about the theory, and perhaps through hearing about some practical real-world examples.
For some, the tricky point can be moving from theory into practice – implementing permaculture ideas for themselves. I often help people with this transition through my design and consultancy work.
For me, some key things to remember when moving from concepts to real-world action are:
- You already know more than you think you do – trust your common sense and intuition and you will likely come to many of the right conclusions when working on a design.
- Remember your role in any design – think about how your own personality and skills will play an important role in shaping the world and systems around you. (A common mistake is to design without considering the personal, human aspect but designing for specific people can be just as important as designing for a specific site.)
- If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Not everything will go according to plan. But resilient, permaculture systems can withstand issues. They do not have the fragility of many of the current systems in our modern world. This means that we can experiment and adapt to change more flexibly when we use permaculture ethics and principles.
The Importance of Connection
As you make the transition to real-world permaculture practice, and make designs a reality, one other very important thing that cannot be over-emphasised is the importance of connection.
Beginners and more experienced practitioners alike will find things much easier when they forge connections with other people. It can also be very important to ensure a deeper sense of connection with the natural world – remembering our part within the greater whole.
Permaculture Without Property
When I talk to people about what I do as a permaculture designer and consultant, I often hear from them that they would love to adopt permaculture practices but…
Sometimes they say they don’t have a garden, or they plan on creating a permaculture home down the road, when they can move to their dream property…
It is important to understand that people care, planet care and fair share can be implemented in all areas of life, and delving deeper into permaculture theory, its principles can also be applied to systems in a wide range of settings.
You can be a permaculture practitioner wherever you currently live, and whatever your current circumstances.
Simply look at the systems around you in any arena and think deeply about what changes you can make – then make them.
Use the core ethics as a touchstone and even without knowing more design strategies, you should not go too far wrong. Making a few minor changes to systems of which you are a part is a great place to begin when moving permaculture front and centre in your life.
Solving the Worlds Problems in a Garden
Those who are lucky enough to have a garden will of course be able to implement permaculture design to make the most of that space and the gifts nature gives us.
A garden is a system and like other systems, we can work to shape it to adhere to the ethics and principles of permaculture.
Again, there is a lot to learn. But making small changes based on the 3 core ethics can be a good place to start. That can help us see what not to do, even if we need a bit more help with how precisely to proceed.