Discover how to work with nature, instead of against it, by employing permaculture techniques to create a garden that is not just more beautiful and productive, but also more resilient.
While the word permaculture might sound intimidating, the principals behind it are not. The main goal of permaculture is to turn your space into a functioning ecosystem that’s less reliant on external resources and better able to sustain itself through many seasons of growth and change as it resists pests, diseases, and climate extremes. Whatever the size of your space, from a tiny patio garden to a big backyard, and whether you grow food, flowers, shrubs, trees, or a combination of all, The Regenerative Garden is here to help you become a better, more eco-conscious gardener.
Through 80 DIY projects, author Stephanie Rose of the popular website Garden Therapy introduces you to basic backyard permaculture concepts in an easy-to-follow, logical way. Each of the six chapters represents a living element of the garden, capable of playing a valuable role in its constant regeneration, including soil, water, plants, climate, ethics, and community. As you check these projects off your to-do list, you’ll find you’ve reduced your long-term work load, conserved water and other resources, turned your yard into a habitat for wildlife, and learned to grow perennial foods in creative ways.
The 80 featured projects include step-by-step instructions on how to:
- Employ intensive planting to reduce weeding and watering chores
- Use living mulches to amend the soil
- Build self-watering planters and wicking beds to reduce water use
- Install a rain garden to catch runoff
- Plant a wildlife hedge to support creatures and create a windbreak and noise buffer
- Compost projects and systems to repurpose waste on-site
- Make a butterfly migration station to support pollinators of all sorts
A healthy, organic, regenerative garden is a perfect example of a self-sustaining ecosystem; everything works in tandem, is intricately connected, and comes full circle to create its own never-ending cycle of life.
I also enjoyed learning more about cover crops.
5 stars!
HOW THIS IS SET UP
This book is set up very logically. There are chapters addressing six main points of gardening. I will write a quick summary of my impressions of each section:
SOIL
This section is worth the price of the book alone. It has extensive information about soil prep which include what kind of manure goes best in what part of the yard. It also has a nice list of appropriate green manure which is usually a crop that is grown and plowed into the soil. In this book, she explores a different manner of cutting off the tops, mulching with them, and then leaving the roots in the ground to naturally decompose adding more to the soil.
She also covers what kinds of mulches are best for what purpose.
This section is extensive and will help eventually build a garden up sustainably without having to add chemicals and artificial additives.
WATER
In this section there are many ideas to capture and re-use water many times so that you don't depend on water supply as much (or in her statements, at all). There is a system for making a rain barrel, a deep root watering system using clay pots buried in the garden, and making rain gardens that benefit greatly from rain.
PLANTS
This section addresses how to choose what plants to grow, and what to grow with them to make them grow better in companion planting set ups. She has ideas on identifying and removing weeds, intensive planting to suppress weeds and increase the productivity of the soil in smaller areas, and how to save seeds.
Not all of these plans are practical for everyone to implement. Also, as a new gardener, I can see where this would be overwhelming. Start with one section you can do and then practice that for a while.
She addresses trees, fruit trees, attracting bees, and forest areas too.
CLIMATE
In this chapter, the author tells how to maximize different factors in the yard to plant certain plants by them. Stone structures work better with warm loving plants near them. She has an idea where you can make a small green house with a barrel and a clear umbrella with the stem planted in the center.
She has ideas on how to build wind or sun barriers, noise and privacy screens, herb spirals and how to restore cooling plants to areas of the yard.
ETHICS
This chapter has ideas how to design beds to maximize garden space and minimize pathways. She has ideas how to attract natural pest control using native plants and even creating a worm hotel. She addresses the use of compost to recycle natural waste and introducing natural livestock like chickens, taking care of pets to keep them safe etc.
COMMUNITY
This section is a brief section for those who might want to create a garden for a community situation. She has ideas for butterfly gardens, children's gardens, and creating a beautiful space for anyone who might need a place to rest.
MY OVERALL EVALUATION
Honestly, over all, I would say that this book is well worth the purchase. Even if you only use one or two items in the book, it is worth it. The photos are top quality. The layout is easy to read and enjoy. I really do like her approach and writing style.
THE BOTTOM LINE
This book is an excellent resource for beginner gardeners and experienced gardeners needing inspiration or some new ideas to incorporate into their gardens.
MY RATING
FIVE STARS. I really like this book and can see myself referring to it often. I have been an avid gardener for some time now, but this book is refreshing and enjoyable to look at.
The book itself is laid out in a modern visually rich style. Filled with just as many beautiful color pictures and diagrams as text.
A good book and worth owning.
The projects include three variations, from the simplest to the most elaborate. Each includes lots of photos and step by step instructions.
All projects are focused on ethical, environmentally responsible gardens.
I highly recommend this book to folks who love gardening, love books, or just love dreaming about homemaking. I'd even venture to say that children would love looking through this book. That's how lovely the photos are!
I will order more copies of this book for gifting! It's gorgeous!
I hope you find this review helpful.
The pictures are inviting, the steps to each project are clear and easily understood. While living in FL had it's own unique challenges and I sometimes don't find generic gardening books helpful, as opposed to fl or gulf specific books, many of the ideas and projects in this book could be used in multiple parts of the country.
The text is clear, educational and very easy to read. The illustrations and charts are likewise nicely done. This is a great book as either a reference manual or a starting point in your harmonious gardening adventures.
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​This is easily the most helpful gardening book I have ever read. Beginning gardeners often receive extremely general advice such as, "Amend your soil with compost! Use cover crops! Collect rainwater!" But that advice is lacking in specificity and trying to find solid information on the internet can be overwhelming.
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​This book is exactly the opposite. Every technique and suggestion is clearly explained with detail and is easy to follow. I'm already planning how to incorporate these strategies into my garden both immediately and in the long term. Particularly excited to try some of the watering tricks and the guild pairings for my apple trees!