OMG I finished it!

Main reasons it took me 3.5 ish years to read this:
- I went through some depression and couldn't read a lot of nonfiction
- Whenever I started to read it my mind would also start to daydream of everything I could possibly do to my yard with the help of this book and then I wouldn't get very far in the book

But I promised myself I would really finish it this year, and I did.

I'm sure I'll continue to use this as a resource for knowledge, techniques, and inspiration. It is really well written and readable, but also can be used as a reference source. I have been using it all along as well - to learn how to sheet mulch, to make plant lists for different purposes - insectary, nitrogen fixing, nurse plants, and more, and to make designs for the herb spiral I built in my front yard, and to redo my front garden very slowly.

This was my entry into permaculture and I still recommend it to anyone who asks about good basic gardening books for a small home.

I haven't finished reading this yet, but here it goes.

 

I don't care what Bill Graham claims at the beginning of the book, permaculture is a religion/ideology/sect. I've suffered through the spiritualistic voice of the author (using words such as 'visionary') and beaming optimism because the principles this book introduces are very much ones that I either: a) already adopt or b) want to adopt. Them being, roughly speaking:

 

1) Less work = better life (amen to that).

2) It's ridiculous that we pay the least to people doing the jobs we need the most (to which I would add that it's ridiculous that we pay the least for the jobs that the fewest people want).

3) Our inputs should roughly equal our outputs.

4) Non-intervention (doing nothing) should be the first response when we consider a problem (hmmm, not sure if it translates to human life so successfully).

5) Diversity of skills = good, even if you are not that great in any of them (mos def the point I've been driving home to everyone for years) . Skillshare great too.

6) Everything should be aimed at multifunctionality to minimise work.

 

There are others. Permaculturists observe the nature, take clues, then use them to optimise the yield of their crop. The method is also the one that is the least energy consuming (including the energy spent in labour). Then they use these principles of design to other areas of life, as we are a part of nature. The result is shitloads of zen and very good food.