CONTENTS
Foreword
Preface
Dedication
1. Setting the Scene
What is changing? Is there a problem?
Climate change
Peak oil
Food sovereignty
2. Sustainable Living Practices
Sustainability
Permaculture: designing for a sustainable future
Permaculture design fundamentals
3. Planning a Garden
Ecological principles
How ecosystems work
The design process
Designing for others
Implementation schedule
Sharing the surplus, thriving and surviving
4. Getting the Soil Right
What is soil?
Compost making
Soil amendments
Mulch
Green manure crops
Fermented fertilizers
Weeds as indicators of soil conditions
Simple soil tests
Other soil tests
5. Edible Food Plants
Top ten vegetables
top ten garden salad fruits
Handy hints
6. Fruit and Nut Trees
Dryland fruit and nut trees
Cold climate fruit and nut trees
Warm humid climate fruit and nut trees
Some other considerations
7. Heavenly Herbs
Herbs used in cooking
Herbal teas
Pest-repellent herbs
A herb medical cabinet
8. Other Useful Plant Groups
Dryland plants
Cool climate plants
Warm humid climate plants
9. Fodder and Forage Shrubs and Trees for Farm Animals
Dryland plants
Cool climate plants
Warm humid climate plants
10. All About Water
Saving water in the home
Water conservation
Irrigation practices
Graywater reuse
Rainwater harvesting
Integration of water systems
On-site domestic wastewater systems
Water in the landscape
11. Strategies for Rural Properties
Organic farming
Biodynamic farming
Holistic management
Cell grazing
Polyface
Natural sequence farming
Pasture cropping
Keyline
Regenerative agriculture
Water capture
Other aspects of farming
12. Strategies for Small Spaces
Inside the house
Outside the house
13. Hand Tools
Personal protective equipment (PPE) and general work clothing.
Ten basic hand tools
Handyperson set of ten tools
Supplementary set of ten tools
Ten basic garden hand tools
Ten handyperson garden tools
14. Foods You Can Easily Make at Home
Ten simple foods to make
Others to try
Ten fermented foods
Preserving your foods
15. It’s Energy That Matters
Embodied energy
Saving and reducing energy
Energy-efficient housing
Active solar systems
Energy generation
16. Forgotten Skills
Some simple knots
Handmade paper
Making soap
Homemade laundry detergent
Splitting bamboo
How to make playdough
Saving seeds
Weaving (fiber basketry)
Making rope from plant material
How to make candles
Conversion Formulae
Acknowledgments
Index
About the Author
A Note About the Publisher