Permaculture Design

Aranya has been experimenting with what permaculture can do since his design course epiphany in 1996. In the years that followed he designed a collection of gardens, along with a few other non-land based designs, writing them all up to gain his Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design 2003. Since that time he's followed a teaching pathway, that now involves delivering on average ten two-week design courses a year. Along the way he's met many amazing people that give him hope for the future and who in no small way have influenced the content of this guide. Aranya is also a long-term barefooter, certain that this helps him be more aware of nature, stay grounded and walk lightly on the Earth. He is the author of Permaculture Design: A Step-by-Step Guide.

For most people, taking the permaculture design course is a major life event. It opens the door on a new way of looking at the world, a new way of being in the world. It affects you on so many levels that, however well you took notes, inevitably some of what you learnt passes you by. That s why Aranya wrote this book: so that people could go away from the design courses he teaches and have a reference to the design methods he s taught them. In effect it s a toolbox of permaculture design methods. So this book provides two useful functions. It s a useful primer to prepare you for the major life event that is a permaculture design course, giving you many insights into applying the design process. And if you ve already done the course, it will consolidate and reinforce the many design skills you ve learned, enabling you to put permaculture into practice on the ground. Patrick Whitefield is an author, teacher and permaculture consultant