Permaculture is the coolest school of sustainable agriculture. In permaculture, we work with the natural world to create human ecosystems that are sustainable and self-reliant. When living in a permaculture oasis, you’re surrounded by abundance and beauty every day of your life. And it starts with permaculture design!
Since high school, I’ve been working on organic farms. I studied sustainable agriculture at College of the Atlantic where I has the opportunity to work with many organic farmers. Since graduating, I have worked on a number of farms, homesteads, and public gardens. I’ve learned about permaculture and I’m currently developing my own permaculture oasis.
I wanted to write this article to share with you what I’ve learned. In this article, you are going to get a basic overview of the permaculture design process.
Are you ready? Let’s go!
What is Permaculture Design?
Some people have a hard time wrapping their heads around what permaculture actually is. Basically, it’s a kind of agriculture that mimics the way plants and animals naturally grow in the wild. In conventional agriculture, there is an emphasis on separation and order. We grow in straight, tilled rows planting only one crop per row or per field under lots of water, fertilizer, and pesticides that have been trucked in from elsewhere. This is largely true for organic agriculture, too.
In permaculture, the emphasis is on relationships. We create micro-environments that mimic the ways plants naturally grow. When we do this, we don’t have clean rows like we do when we use conventional growing methods, but we create environments that don’t need outside inputs, that reserve water, and that can protect themselves from opportunistic plants and pests.
Permaculture is based on a set of permaculture principles that guide the design process. By keeping these principles in mind, we stay focused on creating the most abundant, sustainable, and resilient garden oases.
The Permaculture Design Process
The steps I’ve listed below are inspired by Toby Hemmingway in his book, Gaia’s Garden. If you’re new to permaculture, I really recommend checking out this guide. In this article, I’ve taken the steps he describes and modified them slightly. The steps are (1) Observe, (2) Vision, (3) Research, (4) Develop, and (5) Implement. Let’s get into the details of each step and how to perform it.
Step 1: Observe
The most important step in the permaculture design process is observation. The goal here is to create designs that are sustainable, resilient, efficient, and productive. If we rush into the design, we often miss a lot of details that can negatively impact the design in the future. It’s recommended that we take a full year to observe the landscape. This is because every season brings about many changes. If we create our designs before observing the land through all of the seasons, we’re missing out on factors that can impact our design. By taking observation seriously, we make sure to account for as many details as possible. Here are a few ways to do this.
Make a Map
Creating a visual of your land will help you throughout every step of the design process. Plus, it will help you orient yourself to the land as you begin. You can make the map by hand or using a program. It can be messy or it can be pretty. As long as you’re making a map, that’s what’s important. I’ve even used Google Earth to give me a picture of the land that I then mock up.
Here are the aspects of the land that should be included in your map: roads, buildings, power lines, paths, existing trees, other plants, topography, land features, water sources, water drainage, soil types, and any other prominent features.
Assess the Landscape
A landscape assessment is arguably the most important aspect of the permaculture design process. The very first permaculture principle we follow when we are designing tells us to observe and research the land before anything else. When we are in the process of observing the land, we learn about all the ways the landscape and environment will be influencing the site. These influences will dictate what elements we introduce to the site to promote sustainability and resilience. If our property is prone to flooding, for example, we don’t want to plant flood-sensitive plants in flooding zones. The goal of permaculture design is to create landscapes that thrive sustainably. Our landscape assessments help us do that.
Elements of a Landscape Assessment
- History of the land: How has the land been previously used? Who are the Native peoples who originally tended that land? How did they use and interact with it?
- Laws and regulations: Are there laws, regulations, or zoning rules that apply to that land? Are there HOA rules? If you have an easement, what are the restrictions?
- Climate change and natural disaster predictions for the area (you can use this interactive Köppen climate map).
- Neighbors and community: What’s available for community resources? What public community centers and areas are there? Are there nearby pollutants you have to look out for?
- Climate and weather: What’s the average seasonal rainfall in your region? What about seasonal sunlight availability? What are the average temperature highs and lows?
- Utilities, roads, buildings, paths, and other structures on the property.
- Sectors: wind, sun, shade, rainfall, water flow, microclimates, rocky areas, topography, views, wildlife, etc.
- Bodies of water on the land.
- Vegetation and plant communities.
- Soil types.
If you’d like more information on landscape assessments, click here.
Just Sit and Observe
Observing the landscape isn’t always active–in fact, it shouldn’t be most of the time! You’re already observing your land for a full year before starting your design. Why not spend time strolling? This kind of passive observation will encourage a child-like wonder and curiosity about the land. It will also expose many details to you that you may otherwise miss. Most wildlife and plant species will only show themselves to you when you’re quiet. To take time to just watch and appreciate the land.
Step 2: Vision
After we’ve observed the landscape for a long time, it’s time to start dreaming of all the ways we want to create our designs. Think of this step as a brainstorming session. We’re not thinking practically in this step and we’re not figuring out how to place each piece of the puzzle. We’re not even thinking about finances. All we’re doing is dreaming! The planning, details, and practicality will come later.
In this step, we are imagining elements that (1) are self-contained or require little maintenance and outside inputs, (2) increase biodiversity and provide shelter and resources for wildlife, and (3) will enhance air, water, soil, and life quality. If you want some inspiration and ideas for what to include, check out this comprehensive list of elements to include in your permaculture design. While you’re doing your visioning, you may want to ask yourself these questions:
Visioning Questions
- What do I want from this design? How do I want to feel and what resources do I want to be provided? What about others living on the land? What do they want and need? If you’re opening up the land for public use, then what does the community want and need from the design? What does the land have the potential to offer us?
- What does the land need from us? Does the land need our help with restoration or rejuvenation in any way? Are there pollutants or signs of abuse that we can correct in our design? Are there endangered plants, animals, incests, etc. we could provide resources for? Are there habitats we can work to restore?
- How do I and others want to feel here? Should this design promote community and gathering? Or should it promote solitude and quietness? Should this landscape feel like an educational site, a market farm, or a self-reliant homestead?
- What skills do I want to learn? What skills do I want to teach? Are there hobbies or crafts I’ve always wanted to try? Are there skills I’ve always wanted to develop?
- What elements am I excited about or interested in? Which plants and animals do I want to work with? Are there buildings and structures I want on the landscape? What kind of energy sources am I interested in and what kind of energy does the land have the ability to provide? What are my options for water and irrigation systems?
Write down your answers and keep lists of the things you’re dreaming about including. Once you have your list, you can move on to the next phase: researching!
Get the Free Visioning Workbook
Get this free Permaculture Visioning Workbook and have a space to do your visioning. Here, I walk you through each of the steps of the visioning steps and write down all of your ideas in one place.
Step 3: Research
In this step, we start getting technical! We’re not finalizing any plans in this step (that’s step four!) but we are planning and researching everything we need to know to create the final design. This step is the most research-heavy. That’s because it is our goal to gather as much information as we can about the land and the elements we want to include so that we can make smart placement choices in the next step. Some things we need to research in this step include the needs and yield analysis of each element as well as the zone and sector analysis of the landscape.
Needs and Yield Analysis
To create a needs and yield analysis, we take an element in permaculture design and create lists of its needs and yields. For example, if I want to include apple trees in my design, I would create a list of all of the products the trees would produce as well as all of the support they will need.
Every element of a permaculture design can be analyzed. Here is a list of elements we can perform a needs and yield analysis of:
- Trees, shrubs, and perennial plant crops
- Annual plant crops
- Animals and livestock
- Compost piles
- Buildings, greenhouses, and other structures
- Fencing
- Roads and driveways
- Rain barrels, ponds, and other water sources
- . . . And more. Click here to get a full list.
Aspects of a Needs and Yield Analysis
When we are analyzing elements, we are looking for four things in particular. First, we want to know what products the element will produce. Remember to think outside the box here! If we are analyzing a fruit tree, that tree doesn’t just produce fruit. It produces leaves, twigs and branches from pruning, shade, pollen, oxygen, wildlife habitat, wood, and more.
Second, we want to know the actions that the element we’re analyzing performs. If we’re using the apple tree as an example, some actions it performs include soil stabilization, water retention in the soil, nutrient distribution, mulching, windbreaking, and more.
Third, we are looking at the intrinsic qualities of the element. This includes shape, size, color, flavor, nutrient usage, and how it will interact with the environment. For example, when creating a needs and yield analysis of a compost pile, it’s important to note that it’s going to be stinky. That will help us place it away from human traffic areas so we don’t have to catch whiffs of it!
And lastly, we are looking at the elements’ needs. These can be typical things like nutrients, sunlight, and water, but we also want to look at things like required maintenance, pollination needs, and protection from pests and diseases.
Remember . . .
There are a couple of things to keep in mind in this step. First, we are still dreaming. If you really want to include an element but you don’t see how you could feasibly include it in the final design, that’s ok! Create the needs and yield analysis anyway and worry about elimination later. Second, you can be as detailed or as broad as you’d like. If you know the names of several varieties of apple trees you’re going to plant, you’re welcome to create an analysis for each. But if that’s way too much for you, you can just do a general analysis for apple trees. This process takes a long time but it will be very worth it in the long run. You will use this information for the rest of your life!
Zone and Sector Method
The zone and sector method allows us to categorize the landscape and create different areas optimal for different kinds of elements. This method is split into two separate analyses that are overlaid and work together when we’re creating a final design. Let’s talk about them.
The Permaculture Zones
The permaculture zone method changes the way we think about the elements in our permaculture design. Instead of thinking about the elements as parts of categories like trees, flowers, grazing animals, etc., we are challenged to think about them in terms of our relationship with them. There are elements that we will have to interact with every day, like most of our salad greens and annual vegetables. And there are other elements that we will rarely have to interact with, like chestnut trees and wildflower meadows.
Zones 0 & 1
In permaculture design, we recognize 6 zones. Zones 0 is inside the home. Zone 1 is the zone immediately around the home and contains all elements that need attention daily, multiple times a day. For instance, if you like having fresh herbs in your tea every morning, having an herb spiral just outside your front door will be very useful. If you have to put on real shoes and walk to your herbs, it causes more work for you and you’re less likely to harvest those herbs every morning. In zone 1, we also want to place ornamental and fragrant elements like scented rose bushes.
Zone 2
Just beyond zone 1 is zone 2. In this zone, we place our semi-intensive care elements and our home production crops. These elements need our attention daily to a few times per week For example, we would place our canning and storage veggies here, greenhouses, wood storage, etc.
Zone 3
In zone 3, we place the elements that need our attention no more than once or twice a week. These are our cash crops, pasture, orchards, etc.
Zone 4
Zone 4 is reserved for minimal care elements like wood lots and foraged crops. We also hunt, fish, and wildcraft in this area. If you’re introducing silvopasture to your property, then you may also have silvopasture areas here.
Zone 5
And zone 5 is the wild area that is completely unmanaged. We may sometimes forage in these areas, but they should largely be left alone. The goal of permaculture design is to work with and care for the natural world. Therefore, leaving some areas undisturbed will benefit the health of our land and the surrounding environment greatly. Even if you are designing a small lot in the city, it’s important to create a zone 5 somewhere on the property.
The shape and size of these zones are going to vary wildly from property to property. If you are designing for a suburban area that’s only a couple thousand square feet, the zones will look much different than those on a 50-acre lot. You may even forgo zone 4 all together! And remember, these zones aren’t meant to be perfect circles at perfect distances from the home. The zones will bend, flow, bleed into each other, and change dramatically from year to year. Click here to get more details on permaculture zones and sectors.
The Permaculture Sectors
When we are creating a landscape design, we look at how the landscape interacts with the surrounding environment. No site exists in a bubble, therefore, there are always outside factors interacting with it. These factors include sun, wind, rain, and human elements like noise, light, and sound. By looking at the permaculture sectors of a site, we can see where and how these elements influence the site. For example, if the wind comes in from the north in the winter, we’d call that the winter wind sector. Then we know not to place elements that are sensitive to the cold winds in that sector.
Sector Analysis Questions
- The Wind Sector: Where does the wind come from in each season?
- The Sun Sector: Where does the sun rise and set in the summer? Where does it rise and set in the winter? How much light is available in each season?
- The Shade Sector: Are there trees, structures, or landforms that cast shade? Do the shady areas change from season to season? Will the shady areas change once trees are mature and future buildings are constructed?
- The View Sector: Are there ugly views you want to hide? Are there beautiful views you want to emphasize? Do you have neighbors or a busy street you’d like privacy from?
- The Fire and Flood Sectors: Are there areas on the landscape that are at risk of flooding or catching fire?
- The Wildlife Sector: Where does wildlife like to hang out? Where are there wildlife trails? Does the wildlife change in different seasons?
- The Pollution Sector: Are there potential nearby pollutants like farms, power plants, highways, and waste facilities? Has the land been abused or are there areas with pollutants or heavy metals in the soil?
- The Neighbor and Public Sectors: Are you close to neighbors, public areas, schools, or busy roads? How are these areas affecting the land?
Using the Zone and Sector Method
When we are creating the zones and sectors of our land, it’s helpful to create a map. We can use the map we created in step 1 or we can create a whole new map. Overlay the zones and sectors on the map to reveal the different categories and areas on the land. Once we have this map and we have the needs and yield analysis of each element we’re dreaming about, we can move on to step 4: development!
Step 4: Develop
It’s time to start designing! In this step, we are putting together the actual permaculture design. When we’re in the developing stage, we are analyzing our priorities, creating timelines, creating a layout of the design, sketching out the placements of each element, optimizing relationships and space usage, designing for beauty, and finalizing the steps for implementation.
Remember, permaculture principle number 9 is to design from patterns to details. So to begin, we look at the big picture. In this step, we take the zone and sector map we created and begin experimenting with element placements based on their needs and yield analysis. This is a creative process where we play and continue to shift elements around until they find a home.
Tips for Assembly
- If you’re using a physical map and not a program, it’s helpful to create paper cutouts of each element to scale. That way, you can easily move the elements around without having to continuously erase your map.
- It’s also useful to start with one category or area at a time. For instance, maybe you start with your fruit and nut trees, garden shapes, or your animal areas.
- Remember to start big picture. If you know you want an ornamental garden in front of the house, just designate the garden area. Then later, you can go in and fill in the details of which plant species will be planted there.
- Start with the pickiest elements. If you know there are elements that have more needs than others, you may want to place them first. That way, you can place the other less picky elements around them.
- Give this process a few weeks before completing the final design. By finishing it in one sitting, you may miss a lot of details and will have to go back and fix it. I recommend leaving the project out on a table for a few weeks so you can just look at it and move pieces around that you see fit.
- This is a marathon, not a sprint! In this step, we design for the long haul. It’s ok if you don’t have the time or resources to make all of these changes all at once. In fact, it’s better that you don’t! The design you create will be your ideal final design, it’s ok if you don’t achieve that design for 10 years. In the next step, we will determine priorities so you know where to begin.
At the end of this process, you’ll have a completed map. Congrats! Now, you may be ready to put the plan into action right away. Let’s look at the steps of implementation and figure out what’s feasible and what’s not.
Step 5: Implement
This is where we actually begin making changes to the landscape! But before implementing the design, it’s important to look at what we can do and when. Creating a schedule for implementation will help prevent us from getting overwhelmed and will help us ensure we don’t run out of resources to finish the projects we start. When creating this schedule, it’s helpful to think about these questions:
- What is your most urgent desire? This can be food production, outdoor sitting space, shade, etc.
- How much time do you have to work on the design? Right now? Next month? Next year?
- Is the land in any urgent need of care? For instance, does the land need help with erosion, soil building, or habitat restoration?
- Will the design require outside labor you’ll need to hire? Most importantly, will you need to do any large-scale earthmoving or hardscaping?
- What can and cannot be done in the season you’re in? What can and cannot be done during other times of the year?
- How many resources do you have for the project (financial and otherwise)? How many resources will you have in the following months or the following years?
- Are there projects that are time-sensitive? Are there projects where, if you start them, you need to finish them within a certain time frame?
Once you’ve answered these questions, create an approximate timeline for yourself and get started! When getting started, I recommend following this order (borrowed from Gaia’s Garden by Toby Hemmenway, page 66):
Order of Implementation
- Begin with any major earth moving. If you wait to do big earth-moving projects until later in the implementation process, you risk damaging other elements and causing more work for yourself. This is where you’d install water features like ponds and underground irrigation systems.
- Lay down any broad soil amendments like compost and mulching.
- Complete any hardscaping on the property, such as buildings, sheds, paths, fences, barns, etc.
- Outline beds, lay down sheet mulches, and plant cover crops.
- Begin installing large, perennial plants, trees, and shrubs.
- Adjust irrigation systems and do any fine-tuning.
- Pay special attention to plants as they are becoming established. Give them extra water and care when they need it.
Remember, things aren’t going to go as planned! It’s almost guaranteed that things will go wrong, resources will vary, and things will take longer than you thought they would. It’s important to be flexible and continue to try to see problems as opportunities for improvement. Remember our permaculture principles: we respond to conflict with creativity and we stay focused on the big picture!
More Permaculture Books
If you’d like more resources to learn about permaculture design, there are many permaculture books available for purchase. In this permaculture books article, I’ve listed all of my favorite permaculture books and some reasoning as to why I love them so much. I also have a Bookshop page where I have listed even more permaculture books I love.
Summary: Permaculture Design
Now that you have a basic understanding of permaculture design, you’re ready to get started! In this article, you learned about the 5 steps in permaculture design: observing, visioning, researching, developing, and implementing. We discussed a wide range of design methods including landscape assessment, needs and yield analyses, the zone and sector method, and more. Plus, you now have an abundance of permaculture books you can turn to if you need more information.
Please let me know in the comments below if you have any questions or anything to add. I would love to hear from you!
Thanks for reading and happy designing!
This article may contain affiliate / compensated links. For more information, please read our affiliate disclaimer.
