Article

Practical Permaculture for Sustainable Community and Home Landscapes

Practical permaculture by Jessi Bloom, Dave Boehnlein, and Paul Kearsley has 50 energy, soil, water sustainable plants for community and home landscapes.

Practical permaculture connects families and neighbors meaningfully, profitably Practical Permaculture by authors Jessi Bloom and Dave Boehnlein and illustrator Paul Kearsley attracts amateurs, newbies, and specialists in community and home landscapes, renewable and sustainable in: • air; • energy; • food; • shelter, soil; • water, wildlife. It begins with a two-page preface about: • interconnected environments that all life inherits; • strategic plans that humans implement consciously, haphazardly, methodically, unconsciously for happiness, health, security, stability. It continues to a 48-page chapter on: • ethics of appropriate energy and technology, current and future environments, re-invested surpluses, self-regulated consumption and growth ; • principles of aesthetics, carbon sequestration, consistent yields, functional interconnections, multiple resilient functions, small-scale intensiveness, wildlife habitat; • systems of interrelated built, natural, social environments with closed loops, limiting factors, recirculated by-products, self-regulated maintenance.

Importance of zoning in permaculture as arranger of all elements in system accords with level of care and interrelations.

permaculture's five zones, from Zone 0 house or settlement to Zone 5 unmanaged (wilderness, foraging, inspiration, meditation) — Felix Müller (Mueller felix), CC BY SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en), via Wikimedia Commons

Practical permaculture delivers on current and future self-sufficiency

The term permaculture dates to the 1970s as David Holmgren’s and Bill Mollison’s linguistic invention for permanently life-friendly culture. It emphasizes such lessons from Nature as:

biodiverse polyculture;
ecological succession by niche-divided habitats;
ecosystem services for anti-erosion, filtration, pollination, sequestration;
harmonious edges;
microclimate orientations from airflow, slope, sunlight, vegetation;
natural patterns of branches, fractals, grids, meanders, networks, spirals, tessellations, waves;
soil horizons of compaction, friability, infiltration, minerals;
watershed bioregions of groundwater, springs, stormwater.

It finds its practical applications elaborated in:

70-page chapter on the permaculture process of collecting information, completing designs, consolidating details;
142-page chapter on the permaculture systems of conserving energy, improving soil-fertilizing nutrients and tilth, minimizing waste, perfecting shelters, promoting diversity, protecting wildlife, sustaining plants.

Bruce Charles "Bill" Mollison (May 4, 1928-Sep. 24, 2016) and David Holmgren (born 1955) are credited with coining the word "permaculture" for the ecologically- and environmentally-designed agricultural system that they founded.

CERES Community Environment Park, Brunswick East, Melbourne, Australia; Saturday, Jan. 12, 2008, 20:39:01 — Nicolás Boullosa (nicolas.boullosa), CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/), via Flickr

Practical permaculture encourages sustainable communities through life-friendly decision-making

A 20-page chapter gives a list of 50 plants as renewable, sustainable providers of fiber, fodder, food, fuel, medicine, and shelter:

ground covers: lingonberry, Malabar spinach, Okinawa spinach, sweet potato;
herbaceous perennials: asafoetida, banana, Brazilian spinach, cilantro, day-lily, fuki, groundnut, perennial peanut, Russian comfrey, saffron crocus, sweet cicely, turmeric, vetiver, violets, yacon, yarrow;
shrubs: araza, caper bush, chaya, chokeberry, goumi, katuk, Natal plum, red currant, Siberian pea;
trees: avocado, carob, chestnut, Chilean wine palm, coconut, date palm, horseradish, jaboticaba, jackfruit, jujube, Malabar chestnut, mulberry, olive, oval kumquat, pistachio, purple osier willow, tamarind, white sapote;
woody perennials: pigeon pea, prickly pear cactus, trailing silky-leaf woodwaxen.

It has hardiness, lighting, and water tolerances. It includes dimensions, landscaping, and serviceability.

Avocado tree (Persea americana) numbers among flora that are renewable, sustainable providers of fiber, fodder, food, fuel, medicine and shelter.

Makawao Veterinary Clinic, Makawao, Haleakala northwest slope, East Maui; Thursday, September 28, 2006, 12:55 — Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en), via Flickr

Practical permaculture focuses upon energy-efficient, renewable resource-rich communities

A 42-page chapter joins into a super-practical conclusion the invisible structures of:

accounting by triple bottom line-measured people, planet, profits;
capital from cottage industries, value-added products;
community in consent decision-making;
financing of inventories, markets, stockpiles;
investments through credit unions, lending circles;
land-use through leases, trusts, unused/vacant plots;
social spheres through clusters, collaboration, cooperation, integration.

Its final page keeps readers as inspired as the preface’s first page through last reminders of:

happy bodies, minds, pocketbooks;
healthy activities, environments, lifestyles.

It equally helpfully leads into:

acknowledgments;
hardiness zones;
illustration/photo credits;
index;
metric conversions;
on-line resources;
recommended reading.

So designers/educators Jessi Bloom, Dave Boehnlein, and Paul Kearsley make easy-to-comprehend, east-to-implement Practical Permaculture a culturally enriching, educationally entertaining, geo-historically enthralling experience.

Practical Permaculture for Sustainable Community and Home Landscapes is authored by ecological landscape designer and ISA Arborist Jessi Bloom and permaculturist Dave Boehnlein and illustrated by artist and designer Paul Kearsley.

"Transforming the Urban Edge," by Paul Kearsley for November; 2016 Permaculture Calendar by Permaculture Principles Pty — Practical Permaculture Design @PracticalPermacultureDesign, via Facebook Jan. 22, 2016

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image Credits

Importance of zoning in permaculture as arranger of all elements in system accords with level of care and interrelations.
A well-designed permaculture system features little effort in maintenance.
permaculture's five zones, from Zone 0 house or settlement to Zone 5 unmanaged (wilderness, foraging, inspiration, meditation): Felix Müller (Mueller felix), CC BY SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Permaculture_Zones.svg

Bruce Charles "Bill" Mollison (May 4, 1928-September 24, 2016) and David Holmgren (born 1955) are credited with coining the word "permaculture" for the ecologically- and environmentally-designed agricultural system that they founded.
Bill Mollison and Australian simple, self-sufficient living advocate Kirsten Dirksen
CERES Community Environment Park, Brunswick East, Melbourne, Australia; Saturday, Jan. 12, 2008, 20:39:01: Nicolás Boullosa (nicolas.boullosa), CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/faircompanies/2196180680/

Avocado tree (Persea americana) numbers among flora that are renewable, sustainable providers of fiber, fodder, food, fuel, medicine and shelter.
Makawao Veterinary Clinic, Makawao, Haleakala northwest slope, East Maui; Thursday, September 28, 2006, 12:55: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Starr_060928-0513_Persea_americana.jpg

Practical Permaculture for Sustainable Community and Home Landscapes is authored by ecological landscape designer and ISA Arborist Jessi Bloom and permaculturist Dave Boehnlein and illustrated by artist and designer Paul Kearsley.
"Transforming the Urban Edge," by Paul Kearsley for November; 2016 Permaculture Calendar by Permaculture Principles Pty Ltd: Practical Permaculture Design @PracticalPermacultureDesign, via Facebook Jan. 22, 2016, @ https://www.facebook.com/PracticalPermacultureDesign/posts/799471213491243

Claire Gregory's suburban permaculture garden in Sheffield, UK
After taking course from pioneer permaculturist Patrick Whitefield (February 11, 1949 – February 27, 2015) Claire purchased 3-acre field on edge of Sheffield, where she lives, to start community permaculture project.
Sheffield, South Yorkshire, north central England: Claire Gregory, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Claire_Gregorys_Permaculture_garden.jpg

Sources Consulted

Bloom, Jessi; and Boehnlein, Dave. 2015. Practical Permaculture for Home Landscapes, Your Community, and the Whole Earth. Portland, OR, U.S.A.; and London, England, U.K.: Timber Press.

Claire Gregory's suburban permaculture garden in Sheffield, UK

Sheffield, South Yorkshire, north central England — Claire Gregory, CC BY SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en), via Wikimedia Commons

the end which is also the beginning — OpenClips, Public Domain, via Pixabay

Practical Permaculture for Home Landscapes, Your Community, and the Whole Earth by Jessi Bloom and Dave Boehnlein ~ Available via Amazon

permaculture

Permaculture Playing Cards: Artwork by Alexander Ojeda. Text and ideas from Paul Wheaton of permies.com ~ Available via Amazon

permaculture

Permaculture Skills: A Cold-Climate, Applied Permaculture Design Course (4-DVD set) ~ Available via Amazon

permaculture-themed products

Sepp Holzer's Permaculture: 3 Films About Permaculture Farming ~ Fascinating vignettes of pioneer permaculturist Sepp Holzer's successful, natural techniques! ~ Available via Amazon

permaculture pioneers

Me and my purrfectly purrfect Maine coon kittycat, Augusta "Gusty" Sunshine

Updated September 11, 2026

Comments

DerdriuMarrinerSep 22, 2016

NanciArvizu, Thank! Me too, I like the attractive, convenient, logical organization of permaculture's space. The Bloom and Boehnlein book is a one-stop shop, time-saving merger of helpful images and information.

NanciArvizuSep 22, 2016

Great article, information and inspiration. I love the garden plan, and especially the picture of the gardener yard surrounded by the non-Gardner yard. A hidden gem.

DerdriuMarrinerJan 7, 2016

sandyspider, I like the plan, too. It's not that difficult and it's particularly fun when all or most of the neighborhood turns it into a community-wide plan.

sandyspiderJan 4, 2016

I do like this plan for gardening.

DerdriuMarrinerSep 23, 2015

frankbeswick, Thank you! Looks like metal-detecting on the Wash won't be high on my list of treasure hunts ;-D!

frankbeswickSep 22, 2015

If there were any remaining treasure it would be claimed by the crown. Hidden rooms would imply stone buildings, such as abbeys,castles and churches. The castles are generally in ruins and the abbeys are gone, so there are not many places left.

DerdriuMarrinerSep 22, 2015

CruiseReady, This book is excellent in examples and explanations as well as illustrations and images. It's sturdy since it survives my moving it on and off the shelf many times throughout the month.
Zones 0 - 2/3 can work on not that much land. It's putting into effect Zones 3/4 onward that may be tricky, but not if neighbors are involved.

DerdriuMarrinerSep 22, 2015

frankbeswick, Melted down undoubtedly means that it cannot be traced. But I wonder if some of that treasure remained as is to be admired by a few any time they were feeling particularly ornery against Normans and Plantagenets.
Is it possible that there are hidden rooms -- as during the Armada -- or underground tunnels -- as in "Skyfall" ;-] -- where treasures could be hidden for almost 1,000 years now?

CruiseReadySep 19, 2015

This would sure be a nice plan to follow if you have a bit of land.

frankbeswickSep 18, 2015

There is no record of the treasure's having been found, but considering that the Anglo-Saxons responded to the Norman conquest with a plague of theft from their masters, it is well possible that some enterprising Englishman found and took the treasure,melted it down and none were the wiser.

DerdriuMarrinerSep 18, 2015

AngelaJohnson, Permaculture particularly is rewarding as a community commitment by family, friends, and peers. We're all in this together, as epitomized by consent decision-making.

DerdriuMarrinerSep 18, 2015

candy47, Self-sufficiency is so appealing since there's the satisfaction of knowing one did something oneself and did it well. Also, it translates not only into fun, purposeful activities but also savings in such household expenses as clothes, energy, and food.

DerdriuMarrinerSep 18, 2015

frankbeswick, No, I wouldn't risk walking the Broomway despite the appeal of some time in the wild where sky and surface sometimes appear seamless.
In a different direction, do you know if the valuables lost during King John's harried crossing of The Wash ever were recovered?

frankbeswickSep 18, 2015

By the sound of it some sheep territory is zone 3 and other territory is zone 4. I would say that in the British Isles some mountain tops are zone 5, as are some of the higher ranges in Scotland, such as the tops of Cairngorm. In England I would count England's most dangerous footpath, the Broomway, on the mudbanks off the coast of Essex, as zone 5. You are advised never to walk it alone, but can with a guide. Personally, I would not risk it.

DerdriuMarrinerSep 18, 2015

frankbeswick, Transition has to be factored into the boundaries between the permacultural zones. Within the zones, the ranking indicates the presence of other more or less intensive activities and therefore the more or less light traffic in and out.
Permaculturists generally prefer to conclude only tentatively regarding an area that they have visited either not at all or not recently. So without recent updates, it seems that the northern sheep country is zone 3 if there are activities such as cash-cropping and orcharding going on throughout the moorlands and mountains and zone 4 if not.
So, in a way, the zones tend to cooperate with somewhat exact identification since the classification reflects distance/proximity concerning the permaculturist's HQ as well as the domestic/extra-local purposes, frequency/infrequency of traffic, intensity/non-intrusiveness of maintenance/supervision, and rival/non-competitive demands of other endeavors.
It's disappointing that zone 5 finds little representation in the British Isles. Is it expanding population/limited space sabotaging afforestation and reforestation efforts?

AngelaJohnsonSep 13, 2015

We definitely need to take care of our land and permaculture is a way we can all do our part.

candy47Sep 12, 2015

I live just a couple of miles from a kins domain. It's completely self-sufficient. Great article.

blackspanielgallerySep 11, 2015

Quite informative.

frankbeswickSep 11, 2015

What would you make of the sheep country of Northern England, that spreads across mountains and moorlands: would you call it zone 3 or zone 4? We have little zone 5 in Britain. Do you think it is possible to be exact about the difference between the zones?

Practical permaculture delivers on current and future self-sufficiency

The term permaculture dates to the 1970s as David Holmgren’s and Bill Mollison’s linguistic invention for permanently life-friendly culture. It emphasizes such lessons from Nature as:

biodiverse polyculture;
ecological succession by niche-divided habitats;
ecosystem services for anti-erosion, filtration, pollination, sequestration;
harmonious edges;
microclimate orientations from airflow, slope, sunlight, vegetation;
natural patterns of branches, fractals, grids, meanders, networks, spirals, tessellations, waves;
soil horizons of compaction, friability, infiltration, minerals;
watershed bioregions of groundwater, springs, stormwater.

It finds its practical applications elaborated in:

70-page chapter on the permaculture process of collecting information, completing designs, consolidating details;
142-page chapter on the permaculture systems of conserving energy, improving soil-fertilizing nutrients and tilth, minimizing waste, perfecting shelters, promoting diversity, protecting wildlife, sustaining plants.

Practical permaculture encourages sustainable communities through life-friendly decision-making

A 20-page chapter gives a list of 50 plants as renewable, sustainable providers of fiber, fodder, food, fuel, medicine, and shelter:

ground covers: lingonberry, Malabar spinach, Okinawa spinach, sweet potato;
herbaceous perennials: asafoetida, banana, Brazilian spinach, cilantro, day-lily, fuki, groundnut, perennial peanut, Russian comfrey, saffron crocus, sweet cicely, turmeric, vetiver, violets, yacon, yarrow;
shrubs: araza, caper bush, chaya, chokeberry, goumi, katuk, Natal plum, red currant, Siberian pea;
trees: avocado, carob, chestnut, Chilean wine palm, coconut, date palm, horseradish, jaboticaba, jackfruit, jujube, Malabar chestnut, mulberry, olive, oval kumquat, pistachio, purple osier willow, tamarind, white sapote;
woody perennials: pigeon pea, prickly pear cactus, trailing silky-leaf woodwaxen.

It has hardiness, lighting, and water tolerances. It includes dimensions, landscaping, and serviceability.

Practical permaculture focuses upon energy-efficient, renewable resource-rich communities

A 42-page chapter joins into a super-practical conclusion the invisible structures of:

accounting by triple bottom line-measured people, planet, profits;
capital from cottage industries, value-added products;
community in consent decision-making;
financing of inventories, markets, stockpiles;
investments through credit unions, lending circles;
land-use through leases, trusts, unused/vacant plots;
social spheres through clusters, collaboration, cooperation, integration.

Its final page keeps readers as inspired as the preface’s first page through last reminders of:

happy bodies, minds, pocketbooks;
healthy activities, environments, lifestyles.

It equally helpfully leads into:

acknowledgments;
hardiness zones;
illustration/photo credits;
index;
metric conversions;
on-line resources;
recommended reading.

Image Credits

Comments

DerdriuMarrinerSep 22, 2016

NanciArvizuSep 22, 2016

Great article, information and inspiration. I love the garden plan, and especially the picture of the gardener yard surrounded by the non-Gardner yard. A hidden gem.

DerdriuMarrinerJan 7, 2016

sandyspider, I like the plan, too. It's not that difficult and it's particularly fun when all or most of the neighborhood turns it into a community-wide plan.

sandyspiderJan 4, 2016

I do like this plan for gardening.

DerdriuMarrinerSep 23, 2015

frankbeswick, Thank you! Looks like metal-detecting on the Wash won't be high on my list of treasure hunts ;-D!

frankbeswickSep 22, 2015

DerdriuMarrinerSep 22, 2015

CruiseReadySep 19, 2015

This would sure be a nice plan to follow if you have a bit of land.

frankbeswickSep 18, 2015

DerdriuMarrinerSep 18, 2015

AngelaJohnson, Permaculture particularly is rewarding as a community commitment by family, friends, and peers. We're all in this together, as epitomized by consent decision-making.

DerdriuMarrinerSep 18, 2015

frankbeswickSep 18, 2015

DerdriuMarrinerSep 18, 2015

AngelaJohnsonSep 13, 2015

We definitely need to take care of our land and permaculture is a way we can all do our part.

candy47Sep 12, 2015

I live just a couple of miles from a kins domain. It's completely self-sufficient. Great article.

blackspanielgallerySep 11, 2015

Quite informative.

frankbeswickSep 11, 2015