Permaculture in a NutshellDescription at Albris Online:
"Permaculture in a Nutshell is a concise and accessible introduction to the principles and practise of permaculture in temperate climates. It covers how permaculture works in the city, the country, and on the farm and explores ways in which people can work together to recreate real communities."
Author is a leading Permaculture teacher in Europe and has written three Permaculture books total; Nutshell is a brief, concise book that people new to Permaculture seem to really appreciate for its quick overview of Permaculture's key ethics, elements and design principles.
The Basics of Permaculture DesignDescription at Alibris Books online:
"'The Basics of Permaculture Design'," first published in Australia in 1996, is an excellent introduction to the principles of permaculture, design processes, and the tools needed for designing sustainable gardens, farms, and larger communities.Packed with useful tips, clear illustrations, and a wealth of experience, it guides you through designs for gardens, urban and rural properties, water harvesting systems, animal systems, permaculture in small spaces like balconies and patios, farms, schools, and ecovillages. This is both a do-ityourself guide for the enthusiast and a useful reference for permaculture designers."
Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale PermacultureDescription at Alibris Books online:
"Permaculture is a verbal marriage of permanent and agriculture. Australian Bill Mollison pioneered its development. Key features include: use of compatible perennials;non-invasive planting techniques;emphasis on biodiversity;specifically adaptable to local climate, landscape, and soil conditions;highly productive output of edibles.Now, picture your backyard as one incredibly lush garden, filled with edible flowers, bursting with fruit and berries, and carpeted with scented herbs and tangy salad greens. The visual impact is of Monets palette, a wash of color, texture, and hue. But this is no still life. The flowers nurture endangered pollinators. Bright-featured songbirds feed on abundant berries and gather twigs for their nests.The plants themselves are grouped in natural communities, where each species plays a role in building soil, deterring pests, storing nutrients, and luring beneficial insects. And finally, you--good ol homo sapiens--are an integral part of the scene. Your garden tools are resting against a nearby tree, and have a slight patina of rust, because this garden requires so little maintenance. You recline into a hammock to admire your work. You have created a garden paradise.This is no dream, but rather an ecological garden, which takes the principles of permaculture and applies them on a home-scale. There is nothing technical, intrusive, secretive, or expensive about this form of gardening. All that is required is some botanical knowledge (which is in this book) and a mindset that defines a backyard paradise as something other than a carpet of grass fed by MiracleGro."
Introduction to PermacultureDescription at Alibris Books online:
"Topics include: energy efficient site analysis, planning and design methods, house placement, design for temperate, dry-land and tropical regions, urban Permaculture garden layouts, land access and community funding systems, chicken and pig forage systems, orchards and home wood lots, how to influence micro-climate and a large section on selected plant species with climatic tolerances, heights and uses. Abundantly illustrated with detailed diagrams and line drawings throughout. Includes a listing of useful Permaculture plants with descriptions and uses, and a further species list in useful categories. The book is set out as a step-by-step introduction to Permaculture with detailed instructions."
