Permaculture is more than just gardening—it’s a way of designing your home and lifestyle so that everything works together naturally, creating abundance with less effort. If you’re aiming for self-sufficiency, these core principles can guide you: For more information please visit canning basics

1. Observe and Interact

Spend time watching how sunlight, wind, and water move around your home and garden. By understanding your environment, you can place plants, water tanks, or solar panels in the best spots.

2. Catch and Store Energy

Use resources when they’re abundant to prepare for when they’re scarce. Examples:

  • Install solar panels to store electricity in batteries.
  • Collect rainwater in tanks or ponds.
  • Preserve seasonal harvests by drying, canning, or fermenting.

3. Obtain a Yield

Every system should give something back—food, firewood, clean water, or even joy. Plant fruit trees, keep chickens, or grow herbs so your work produces real benefits.

4. Apply Self-Regulation and Accept Feedback

Notice what’s working and what’s not. If pests are out of balance, attract natural predators instead of overusing chemicals. Adjust your design as you learn.

5. Use and Value Renewable Resources

Rely on sun, wind, rain, and compost instead of finite inputs. For example, mulch with leaves and straw instead of plastic sheeting.

6. Produce No Waste

Turn “waste” into resources:

  • Food scraps → compost
  • Greywater → garden irrigation
  • Old materials → DIY building projects

7. Design from Patterns to Details

Look at the big picture first—how water flows, how people move through the space—then plan details like where to plant herbs near the kitchen or a clothesline in the sunniest spot.

8. Integrate Rather than Segregate

Place elements so they support each other. Chickens can eat garden pests and fertilize soil, while a pond can provide water for irrigation and habitat for beneficial insects.

9. Use Small, Slow Solutions

Start with manageable projects—like a small raised bed or a rain barrel—before scaling up. Slow, steady growth is easier to maintain.

10. Use and Value Diversity

Plant a mix of vegetables, perennials, and herbs to reduce risk and increase resilience. Diversity in plants, animals, and systems creates stability.

11. Use Edges and Value the Marginal

The borders between spaces (like a garden edge, a fence line, or pond border) are the most productive and creative areas. Make use of these overlooked spots.

12. Creatively Use and Respond to Change

Be flexible—whether it’s climate, seasons, or your personal needs. Design your home and garden so they can adapt and still provide abundance.