ISBN: 9780646269900 Year Added to Catalog: 2002 Book Format: Paperback Book Art: 70 b/w photographs, illustrations, resources, references, species lists Number of Pages: 17 x 12, 61 pages Book Publisher: Holmgren Design Services Old ISBN: 0646269909 Release Date: December 20, 2001
From David Holmgren, the co-founder of the permaculture design concept, this book showcases his practical knowledge and day-to-day experience on every page. Hepburn Permaculture Gardens documents the design and development of his family home property (located 120 kilometers from Melbourne in Australia) over its first decade. Starting with two and a half acres of fairly steep, weed-covered, degraded land at the edge of town, the Holmgrens have created a self-reliant homestead that demonstrates how permaculture design principles can be applied.
As David points out, every place, context, and person is unique, as should be every permaculture design. "It is only the continuous interaction between designer/practitioner and the elements which creates a living evolving system which we call permaculture," he writes. Nonetheless, this book still provides readers with lots of information and ideas for applying permaculture design in other cool-climate locations.
This large-format book is best read section by section, following David's description of historical and environmental features of the Hepburn area, through his design for the property, to implementation of the design itself. Sections cover the local environment, preparatory work, the house and infrastructure, the growing environment, livestock, and beyond the boundaries. Appendices feature species lists, inputs and yields, and references and resources.
The format allows the reader to work back and forth between thematic text, plans, and photos with ease, something not possible in standard-format books. This "multimedia" reading builds a deep appreciation of the multi-faceted nature of permaculture design and how its elements are integrated. While the subject of this book is practical, its presentation is beautiful, with sepia photos and ink drawings by a local Hepburn artist on high quality paper.
About the Author
David Holmgren
David Holmgren is best known as the co-originator with Bill Mollison of the permaculture concept following the publication of "Permaculture One" in 1978. Since then he has written several more books, developed three properties using permaculture principles, conducted workshops and courses in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and Japan. Within the growing and international permaculture movement, David is respected for his commitment to presenting permaculture ideas through practical projects and teaching by personal example, that a sustainable lifestyle is a realistic, attractive and powerful alternative to dependant consumerism. As well as constant involvement in the practical side of permaculture, David is ...
Print this page.
