the premise is this: nature knows what's up. she's been at this gig for a helluva lot longer than we have, and she's got it down. it would behoove us to pay attention. the mantras are as follows: the problem is the solution. everything is reciprocal. pay attention. my favorite metaphor is this: conventional [everything] is a boat with a paddle, a wind from behind, going upstream. we use technology to create better and more efficient paddles, to create more paddles, to change the hydrodynamics of the boat, to minimise or mechanize the labor required to push against the flow of the water. it gives its boatsmen jackets and blankets to protect them from the wind. permaculture says: hey, let's get a sail.


watch where the water goes, and then put your crops there. watch where the sun shines, and how, watch the wind in its moods and seasons, and place your house accordingly. watch how you move through the landscape, what areas you are drawn to and which you avoid, notice what elements of your life seem to have affinity. put the garden near the kitchen, if you can. put the bench in the winter sun with a view of the woods. make it easy. orient your gutters and drains so that they water your garden, and you'll never need to lift a hose again. face your house southwards and cut your heating bill in half; shade your east and west walls and cut your cooling needs by a third. attention, attention, attention. what you can acheive, they insist, is limited only by your imagination and your ability to observe.