Let’s cut through the Pinterest boards and the YouTube rabbit holes for a second: permaculture isn’t a vibe — it’s a system. A very old, very practical system that’s been made weirdly complicated by people who love whiteboards.
But here’s the truth: you don’t need a degree in soil science or a yurt in the woods to start doing permaculture. You just need a plot of land (or a backyard, or heck, even a few raised beds), some intentional design, and a willingness to let nature do what it does best.
So if you’re ready to actually start, not just scroll, let’s get into it.
What Is Permaculture, Really?
The word “permaculture” is a mashup of permanent + agriculture — but it’s way more than no-till gardening or planting kale with your chickens. It’s a full-on design philosophy based on mimicking natural ecosystems to create resilient, self-sustaining systems for food, shelter, water, and community.
Yeah, it sounds big. But at the beginner level, it’s really just this:
Stop fighting nature. Start designing with it.
Core Principles (a.k.a. The Stuff You Actually Need to Know)
Bill Mollison (one of the OGs of permaculture) laid out 12 core principles. But unless you’re trying to impress your homesteading professor, here’s what you actually need on Day 1:
1. Observe before you do anything
Before you plant, build, or even dream, spend time watching your land. Where does water collect after a storm? Which parts get full sun? What’s already growing there?
2. Everything should have more than one function
That chicken? It gives you eggs, scratches your garden beds, fertilizes the soil, and eats pests. That’s a four-in-one tool. Aim for multi-functional elements in everything you build or plant.
3. Stack your systems
Think vertical and seasonal. Plant fruit trees, then berries beneath, then ground covers. Let your compost pile warm your greenhouse wall in winter. Think like nature: dense, layered, efficient.
4. Use what you’ve got
Don’t buy a bunch of stuff. Seriously. Permaculture is about using your resources better, not hoarding galvanized steel and calling it “off-grid.”
Step-by-Step: How to Get Started with Permaculture
Let’s break it down into real, doable chunks. You don’t need a 10-acre food forest to make a permaculture move.
Step 1: Map Your Space
Sketch your property — no art degree required. Just a rough drawing that includes:
- Sun paths
- Slopes and contours
- Where water flows
- Existing trees/plants/structures
- Wind direction
- Zones of use (e.g., where you spend time daily vs. rarely)
This is your base map. You’ll build everything from here.
Step 2: Start Small. Like, Really Small
Forget the full redesign. Pick one project — maybe:
- A herb spiral by your back door
- A mini compost system using kitchen scraps
- A swale (shallow ditch) to redirect water and stop erosion
- A polyculture raised bed that mimics a mini-ecosystem
Build one thing. See how it performs. Then iterate.
Step 3: Build Soil. Always.
Soil is your bank account. Everything else is interest.
In permaculture, we don’t rototill — we layer. Use sheet mulching, compost, wood chips, cover crops, and animals (yes, chickens are soil-building machines) to make rich, living dirt.
If your soil sucks, nothing works. So start here, always.
Step 4: Catch and Store Energy
Rainwater, compost heat, solar rays, greywater — your land is constantly generating free energy. Permaculture is about catching it and reusing it.
Install rain barrels. Use black barrels for solar water heating. Place your chicken coop where it catches winter sun but stays shaded in summer.
Efficiency isn’t trendy — it’s ancient.
Step 5: Design for Resilience, Not Perfection
Nature isn’t linear. Your garden will flood. Your chickens will escape. The squash bugs will find you.
Instead of aiming for flawlessness, design for bounce-back. Create redundancies. Plant multiple food sources. Don’t rely on one system to carry the load.
It’s not a monoculture — it’s a system that adapts and survives.
What You Don’t Need to Start
Let me save you some money and heartache:
- You don’t need a $400 permaculture course. (Though if that’s your thing, cool.)
- You don’t need a perfect property. Start where you are.
- You don’t need a composting toilet.
- You don’t need alpacas. Yet.
You need to observe, plan, test, and learn — just like nature.
Want to Go Deeper? Here’s What to Read Next
- Gaia’s Garden by Toby Hemenway – the best intro-to-backyard-permaculture book, period.
- Permaculture: A Designers’ Manual by Bill Mollison – the big daddy manual (intense but legendary).
- YouTube channels: Justin Rhodes, Living Web Farms, and Roots and Refuge all have great beginner videos.
Final Thoughts
Permaculture isn’t a finish line — it’s a mindset. You’re not just growing food. You’re designing life to work smarter, not harder. You’re partnering with nature, not dominating it.
And the best part? You don’t need to do it all at once. Just start with one choice — a better compost pile, a smart water catchment, a layered garden bed — and let the system grow from there.
Because here’s the secret no one tells you: once you start thinking in systems, you never go back.
