Permaculture is a design for sustainable living. The word comes from the words "permanent agriculture" and "permanent culture" and it describes the sustainability of the design methods. The philosophy and principles of permaculture copy life systems in nature and use energy in the most efficient way possible. Permaculture can be applied to any system, from your garden to your home, whether urban or rural. Sheet Mulching This is a procedure that imitates the natural patterns found in the forest. Just as the leaves and needles fall from the trees and create a cover that kills weeds and keeps the soil moist, in your garden you can start your planting beds in the same manner; newspaper and cardboard can be laid down directly on the grass and topped with manure, soil and straw. These layers kill the weeds and grass and trap the moisture in the soil. When the grass has completely broken down, the result is a new garden bed that is nutrient rich.
is the design of sustainable human habitats. It is based on the observation of natural systems and uses ecological principles to increase diversity and productivity of local human ecosystems. Permaculture designs incorporate food, energy, and shelter for people and animals while linking the needs and outputs of each element of the system. The result is a dynamic yet stable system that sustains itself. Permaculture designs can be developed for any climate and on any scale, from balconies to entire villages.
a design and maintenance strategy that integrates natural ecosystems, agriculture and the built human environment in order to provide food, energy, shelter, and other material and non-material needs in a sustainable way. The term was coined and copyrighted by Bill Mollison.
permanent agriculture production of combining crops and animals
Permaculture is a land use system which integrates design and ecology. It incorporates micro climate, annual and perennial plants , animals, soils, water management and human needs into a productive community.
' Permanent agriculture'. The design and maintenance of sustainable, ecologically favourable, energy efficient agricultural and horticultural systems. The concept includes not only agroforestry but the integration of organic farming principles and intermediate technology, the use of renewable resources and recycling, the exploitation of biodiversity, conservation and habitat protection,as well as social and institutional well-being. It can be applied to urban as well as rural environments.
A method of community planning designed to create stable productive communities, permaculture uses land in a way that integrates human dwellings, plants, animals, soils and water, and considers and works with the patterns found in nature.
The practice of designing sustainable human habitats by following nature's patterns.
the deliberate beneficial assembly of plants and animals in relation to human habitat and natural climate and seasons, aimed toward household and community conservation and self-reliance.
A design system that integrates landscape and building issues, permaculture emphasizes low maintenance, edible landscaping, and single design features (including plants) that fill more than one function.
agriculture designed for permanence: an integrated approach that combines landscaping with food production (e.g., forests, permanent pastures, lakes and ponds, and non-tillage agriculture)
Coined in the 1970s by Australian Bill Mollison: "a beneficial assembly of plants and animals in relation to human settlements, mostly aimed towards household and community self reliance, and perhaps as a 'commercial endeavor' only arising from a surplus from the system."
Permaculture is both a lifestyle http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ethic#Noun ethic as well as a design system which utilizes a systems thinking approach to create sustainable human habitats by analyzing and duplicating nature's patterns (ecology).