Getting Started in Permaculture: 54 Projects for Home and Garden (Simple Living) Paperback – Illustrated, 1 Oct. 2010

These ideas may have seemed fresh 20 years ago but there is nothing here that you've not seen a hundred times elsewhere.

great

Bought for my son who into gardening in big way really helpfull information

I was put off my some reviews, and thought that this would be a very small, dull little book full of things you could probably figure out yourself. Not so. It is jam-packed full of useful ideas, tips, diagrams. There is not one wasted word, no waffle, just page after page of solid info.It would be unfair to say this is the be all and end all of all permaculture knowledge, but it should have a place on your bookshelf.

I bought this because I wanted to learn more about permaculture. Am somewhat disappointed to say that I learnt little at all. The authors are obviously passionate about recycling and reusing waste materials which is to be admired and encouraged but a good number of the new uses for waste materials would already be very familiar to many like minded people and especially anyone who has an allotment where cut down plastic bottles used as mini cloches etc. are commonplace. I did find the section suggesting uses for old car tyres interesting but doubt if this will appeal to many people - a pile of old tyres, no matter how useful as planters, is always going to look like a pile of old tyres.I don't think the diagrams are always very clear and there are only very few photographs. I might have given three stars if the book were cheaper but when compared to say Joy Larcom's essential "Grow Your Own Vegetables" which at £6.99 on Amazon is the complete opposite in terms of value for money, usefulness and clarity. This book should have been given a different title - "54 new uses for waste materials" for example.

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 controlSheet MulchingMaking compostNatural liquid fertilisersEarthworm farmHothousesShadehousesAnimal tractorsEnvironmentally responsible livingHaybox cookerDetermining levelsPropagating plantsBird attracting projectsAll in all........a lot of information for only a little outlay.Well recommended.

Having read a number of gardening books I was plesed that this added new ideas and enthusiasm for growing many more vegetables. Last autumn it was very hard work digging up the lawn to extend the beds so the no dig approach was a great pleasure. I'm a great supporter of recycling and this gave me other approaches I've not tried before. I'm looking forward to the results.

This book is interesting as an introduction to Permacolture, plus it gives you some interesting projects to start with. It's not much if you want more detailed analysis of what permaculture is though.