What is Permaculture?
Have you ever thought about what it would be like to live in harmony with the natural world around you? That’s the heart of permaculture. It’s more than gardening or growing your own food—although those are definitely part of it. Permaculture is a way of life, a design system, and a mindset that helps us create healthy, regenerative, and resilient ecosystems that work with nature, not against it.
So, what exactly does that mean? Let me break it down.
A Simple Definition
At its core, permaculture is about designing systems that mimic the natural world. It’s about creating abundance—whether it’s food, shelter, energy, or community—while restoring the earth’s ecosystems. It’s living simply, using fewer resources, and giving back more than we take.
You can think of permaculture as working with nature’s rules instead of fighting them. It’s about observing how nature operates—how plants grow, how water moves, and how animals interact—and designing our lives and landscapes to support those systems.
A Closer Look
Permaculture is a lifestyle where everything we do is connected to the idea of regeneration and resilience.
- Food: We grow nutrient-dense crops in our backyards, focusing on perennials and plants that self-seed, so we don’t need to keep replanting.
- Energy: We use our resources wisely, capturing sunlight, conserving water, and reducing waste by reusing and recycling as much as possible.
- Wildlife: We create spaces where wildlife thrives alongside us—pollinators, beneficial insects, and other creatures that play a role in the ecosystem.
- Systems: Every system is designed to look after itself. Compost turns scraps into soil. Chickens eat food scraps and provide eggs, fertilizer, and pest control. Nutrients stay in the system, creating a cycle that feeds itself.
Permaculture isn’t about perfection. It can actually look quite chaotic sometimes! It’s about building systems that work well enough to keep going with little interference, so we’re not stuck micromanaging every detail. It’s a smarter way to live—one where we get to enjoy the results of our work instead of constantly fighting against nature.
And, if we work smart enough, we’ll even have some time left over for a cuppa on the veranda to enjoy our dreams and visions coming true!
Why Permaculture Matters
We live in a world that often takes more than it gives. Permaculture flips that idea on its head. It’s about giving back to the land, the wildlife, and our communities while creating abundance for everyone.
Imagine a world where every backyard is a thriving ecosystem that feeds the family, the soil, and the birds. Where resources don’t go to waste, and everything has a role to play. Permaculture makes that possible—not just on farms, but in cities, suburbs, and anywhere people live.
My 10-Second Definition
One of my first assignments for the Permaculture Educators course (more on this later) was to write a definition for permaculture. One short explanation, and one long. Here we go!
If someone asks, “What is permaculture?” here’s my quick answer:
Permaculture is a lifestyle that creates a healthy, abundant, and regenerative ecosystem for every living being by working with nature, not against it.
Elle Meager – Aussie Roots
My 1-Minute Definition
If I have a bit more time to explain:
Permaculture is a way of life where we dedicate ourselves to working with nature, not against it. We aim to build a healthy, regenerative, and resilient ecosystem that supports every living being on earth and nature itself.
Elle Meager – Aussie Roots
We live simply, so we need and use fewer resources. The resources we have are used to their greatest effectiveness and reused and recycled as much as possible. We grow abundant food crops right in our backyards and share what we can.
We use our energy wisely and build resilient systems that mostly look after themselves. Nutrients stay within the system, wildlife is welcome, plants self-seed, and perennials grow as food crops, living mulch (affiliate link), forage, and much else.
In permaculture, we design an earth that supports all life so we can all thrive, together.
Why I’m Passionate About Permaculture
I’ve been on a permaculture journey for a really long time, although I didn’t realise it was permaculture. I just loved growing, nature, and sharing with wildlife!
Things ramped up significantly since earning my Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) in 2020 with Tom Kendall through the Permaculture Research Institute. It opened my eyes to how powerful this way of thinking can be—not just for the earth, but for our everyday lives.
Now, I’m diving deeper into permaculture education as I study with Morag Gamble’s Permaculture Educators Program through the Permaculture Education Institute. It’s a privilege to be part of such a meaningful movement, and I’m excited to share what I’m learning as I work toward becoming a permaculture teacher.
How You Can Start
The beauty of permaculture is that anyone can practice it, no matter where they live. Start small:
- Plant a few perennials like herbs or fruit trees.
- Set up a compost system for food scraps or set up a bokashi bucket and compost right on your kitchen bench.
- Observe your garden or neighbourhood and ask, “How can I work with what’s already here?” “How can I make it more productive and abundant?”
- Grow a pot full of insect-attracting flowers.
- Try a no-dig garden (I’m building one as we speak!)
Bit by bit, you’ll see how much nature can give when you work with it.
