Books on Permaculture

Introduction to Permaculture Bill Mollison, Reny Slay, New South Wales 1991 ISBN 0 908228 05 8
	A pretty good place to start. Obviously more aimed at the southern 'lot'. (Heather) Practical commonsense explanation of all the key permaculture principles. What can I say ? This book will change your life - if it doesn't, you're not reading hard enough. ML.

Permaculture: A Designers' Manual Bill Mollison; 1997 Reprint 1988, 569 Pages, Hardcover ISBN 0 908228 01 5
	The ultimate reference for Permaculture enthusiasts. Elaborate detail on the many facets of pemaculture. Written for the designer and student, this magnificently complete work covers concepts, themes and methods of design; understanding patterns; all the different factors involved in designing for site, such as climate, soil water and trees; innovative ideas for the humid tropics, dryland areas, and cool to cold climates; and "Strategies for an alternative global nation" which involves alternative legal, political and financial strategies for facilitating permaculture. Superb b/w & color illustrations. An important book. Huge book, great for pressing cheese! Very indepth, but the worst index in the history of indexes. I kid you not. I would find it much more useful if the index was up to scratch. Is anyone from the publishers listening? Permaculture is all about sharing info, maybe it should start with the 'bible'. (Heather) The 'Big' PC book. More practical permaculture, with an attempt also to explain fundamental natural principles such as Overbeck Jet Models and Von Karman Trails. Some excellent sections, including Aquaculture, and Strategies for an Alternative Nation. Even at this size (nearly 600 pages) the book can only scratch the surface. You will leaf through it a thousand times, if only because the Index is shite. ML.

Gaia's Garden - A Guide to Home Scale Permaculture Toby Hemenway, 2001
	Here is information from the author himself. Toby, over to you. Here's a little more detail on what's in my new book, Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture. Though it's oriented toward any eco-friendly gardener, there's plenty in it for permaculturists, particularly the sections on polycultures, guild design, forest gardening and assembling a whole-systems garden. It's 240 pages, has plenty of tables of useful plants, is well illustrated, and has an appendix listing several hundred useful species. Several instructors have said they're going to use as their textbook. It will be available in June, and can be ordered now from The Permaculture Activist or from http://www.chelseagreen.com/Garden/GaiasGarden.htm As I mentioned, the cover photo at that site is an old version and should be updated soon. The real cover can be seen at http://www.chelseagreen.com/buy/GaiasGarden.htm To give you a better idea of what's in it, here's the Table of Contents. GAIA¹S GARDEN: A GUIDE TO HOME-SCALE PERMACULTURE By Toby Hemenway FOREWORD by John Todd Part One: THE GARDEN AS ECOSYSTEM 1. INTRODUCING THE ECOLOGICAL GARDEN Gardens that Really Work with Nature Why Is Gardening So Much Work? Beyond‹Way Beyond‹Natural Gardening The Natives versus Exotics Debate Making the Desert Bloom, Sustainably How to Use This Book Sidebar: What Is Permaculture? 2. A GARDENER'S ECOLOGY Three Ecological Principles A Mature Garden A Few of Nature's Tricks for Gardeners Sidebar: Do Plant Communities Really Exist? 3. DESIGNING THE ECOLOGICAL GARDEN The Ecological Design Process Natural Patterns in the Garden The Edge Effect Sidebar: Some Pear Tree Connections Sidebar: A Summary: Designing the Ecological Garden Sidebar: Building and Planting a Keyhole Bed Part Two: THE PIECES OF THE ECOLOGICAL GARDEN 4. BRINGING THE SOIL TO LIFE Soil Life: The First Recyclers Building Soil Life Sharing the Wealth of the Soil Sidebar: Woody Ways to Build Soil Sidebar: The Ultimate, Bomb-proof Sheet Mulch Sidebar: Starting Plants in Sheet Mulch 5. CATCHING, CONSERVING, AND USING WATER The Fivefold Path to Water Wisdom Conserving Water with Catchment Water Brings the Garden to Life Sidebar: How to Make a Swale Sidebar: Planning a Water-Harvesting System Sidebar: Tips for Using Graywater Sidebar: Creating a Backyard Wetland 6. PLANTS FOR MANY USES The Many Roles of a Tree Multipurpose Plants The Roles of Plants in the Ecological Theater Annuals and Perennials Microclimates for the Garden Nurses, Scaffolds, and Chaperones Summary: Mixing the Many Functions of Plants Sidebar: Weeds and Other Wild Food 7. BRINGING IN THE BEES, BIRDS, AND OTHER HELPFUL ANIMALS More Good Buys than Bad Attracting Beneficial Insects The Gardener's Feathered Friends Other Backyard Helpers Sidebar: A Gallery of Beneficial Insects Part Three: ASSEMBLING THE ECOLOGICAL GARDEN 8. CREATING COMMUNITIES FOR THE GARDEN Interplanting and Beyond Guilding the Garden Sidebar: lanto Evans's Polyculture Sidebar: Jajarkot s Advanced Polyculture Sidebar: Growing the Three Sisters Guild 9. DESIGNING GARDEN GUILDS An Intimate Way of Guild-Building Guilds for Bookworms Creating a Super-Guild Guilds Aren't Perfect Sidebar: Using Natural Plant Communities to Guide Guild Design 1O. GROWING A FOOD FOREST Experimenting with Forest Gardens The Seven-Story Garden How the Food Forest Evolves Sidebar: A Brief History of Forest Gardens 11. POP GOES THE GARDEN Choosing the Right Pieces The Garden Gets Popping Assembling the Garden Revisited Sidebar: Ecological Compromises, or You Can't Make an Omelet . . . Appendix: A Sampling of Useful Plants Glossary Bibliography Resources Index

The Basics of Permaculture Design Ross Mars
	...

Earth User's Guide to Permaculture Rosemary Morrow
	Easy to understand 'how-to' book.

Permaculture in a Nutshell Patrick Whitefield ISBN 1 85623 0031
	For those up in the northern hemisphere this is a really good place to start, basically cos it's cheap! But it does explain stuff. (Heather) If you're new to permaculture, and find Bill Mollison's 'Introduction...' too Southern-Hemisphere-based, this is a good start. Written mainly for the British (cool temperate) climate, it's a good and inexpensive introduction to the main PC principles. Also, some friends who were taught by Patrick say he's a really good teacher. ML.

The Permaculture Home Garden Linda Woodrow
	...

The Permaculture Way Graham Bell, Thorsons, London 1992, ISBN 0 7225 2568 0
	Another good explanation of PC principles, with lots of practical examples in a British climate. Good appendices, including species lists and booklist, with a good index. ML.

A Western Permaculture Manual David Browned, Cornucopia Subiaco,Wa. '89
	Yet another look at permaculture from an American.

The Permaculture Design - A practical Guide to a Sustainable Future Bill Mollison , Island Press Wa. DC 1990
	The indepth Permaculture manual by the co-founder of permaculture. Excellent examples, illustrations, and enjoyable reading.

The Permaculture Garden Graham Bell ISBN 0 7225 2783 7
	Less emphasis on PC philosophy than 'The PC Way', and more on practical gardening tips and projects. Excellent species lists throughout (British emphasis again). A good introduction, and worth the price for the species lists alone. ML.

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