Product Description

Getting Started in Permaculture is based on a real life development. It shows the step-by-step procedures for making herb fertilisers, compost, organic sprays for pest control and many more things that you can apply to your own home and garden. The book discusses how to reuse your soft drink bottles, waste paper and tyres in a number of useful projects such as ponds, fruit fly traps, retaining walls and solar stills. Each subject includes a permaculture perspective which explains some of the basic principles of permaculture design and the reasons for applying them. All the projects have been in use for many years on the authors' smallholding, which was developed from a barren field into a thriving, diverse food producing area with multiple ecosystems and functions.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #30889 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-01
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 102 pages

Review
This deceptively compact little volume is chock full of practical activities aimed at increasing self-reliance and reducing our ecological footprints. Clearly explained and illustrated DIY projects range from recycling every day waste such as tyres, plastic bottles and newspaper into ponds, retaining walls, mini-greenhouses and bio-degradable plant pots, through to creating sheet mulched mandala gardens, home made landscape surveying equipment, plant propagation techniques and even how-to guides for producing your own paper and household cleaning agents. Theoretical content is kept to a minimum, although sprinkled throughout are short sections that place activities into a wider permacultural context.. I like this approach as it encourages 'learning by doing', making this a potentially useful resource for schools or community gardening projects where early success is crucial in breeding confidence, empowerment and the development of new skills. Another winner from Permanent Publications' aptly titled 'Simple Living' series. --Graham Burnett

Permaculture experts Ross and Jenny Mars outline the steps to transform your garden into a productive living system. Modeled upon the development of Candlelight Farm, and illustrated with photographs, this guide encourages the reader to make positive steps towards reconciling human impact with nature following the permaculture ideal.Permaculture is based on the ethics of caring for people and our planet. It is about growing your own healthy food, being resourceful and environmentally responsible. Permaculture concepts and ideas can be applied successfully from small suburban units to large farming properties."Getting Started in Permaculture" delivers step-by-step knowledge for a variety of useful projects including: making herb fertilizers, compost, organic sprays for pest control, and much, much more. It also includes how to recycle your soft drink bottles, waste paper, and tires in a number of useful projects such as ponds, fruit fly traps, retailing walls, and solar stills.As part of Permanent Publications Simple Living Series, this practical and accessible guide for gardeners of all skill levels serves as an ideal introduction to the world of permaculture. --Angus Robertson

About the Author
Ross Mars is a well-known Western Australian educator, writer and course and workshop presenter. He completed a PhD in Environmental Science at Murdoch University in 2001. His research centred on the use of native wetland plants to strip nutrients from domestic greywater. Ross also has qualifications in Permaculture, having achieved the first Diploma in Permaculture issued in Western Australia. Jenny Mars is a primary school teacher with a passion for the environment, gardening and plants, especially herbs. Jenny also has a Diploma in Permaculture and has a particular interest in growing food to enable families to work towards supporting themselves.

Customer Reviews

Excellent little book
Initially I was put off by the thought that this was going to be a little bitty book with only a few projects of any use to me in it.....not the case.

This is an excellent little book and having reviewed and tried some of the projects in it, I was only sorry that I had not bought it earlier.

It certainly is not the only Permaculture book that you are going to buy, but it is definately a must have reference for anyone vaguely interested in this facinating area. Perhaps this is where my only form of a criticism comes in. Some of the projects are introduced with just enough information to get you up and running, little more. That said however, if you are really keen on completing any of the project, you will now have the idea and will be able to research more on websites such as instructables.com et cetera.

To list some (not all) of the projects/areas covered (because I coldnt find them elsewhere before I bought the book);


Recycling tyres (herb mounts, tyre ponds)
Recycling plastic bottles (insect traps)
Organic pest control
Sheet Mulching
Making compost
Natural liquid fertilisers
Earthworm farm
Hothouses
Shadehouses
Animal tractors
Environmentally responsible living
Haybox cooker
Determining levels
Propagating plants
Bird attracting projects

All in all........a lot of information for only a little outlay.

Well recommended.

Lots of Ideas
I love this little book. It is jam packed full of ideas and things to try. It's also a handy little size (A5) which I found to be fab cos I could take it to work and dip into it at lunch time. Some of the ideas I had to read through twice before I actually got the drift but then it sunk in! I would definitely recommend this book - great value for money.