A few well-tended square metres of polyculture teaches more than any book.
Getting Started
Permaculture can feel overwhelming from the outside. The antidote is to start small, observe deeply, and let complexity emerge naturally over time. A few well-tended square metres of polyculture teaches more than any book.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Year 1 | Observe. Keep a site journal. Note sun angles by season, drainage after rain, where wildlife visits, where wind comes from, which corners are warmest in winter. Design nothing yet. |
| Year 1–2 | Build soil. Sheet mulch your first bed. Start a compost system. Plant comfrey and clover as ground covers. These investments compound over years. |
| Year 2 | Plant your first guild. Choose three to five companion plants that serve different functions — a nitrogen fixer, a dynamic accumulator, a pollinator attractor, a food crop. Watch what happens. |
| Year 2–3 | Add water features. Even a simple rain barrel and a small swale begin to slow water through your system and reveal where it wants to go. |
| Year 3+ | Integrate animals. Chickens, ducks, rabbits, and bees each occupy a functional role in the system — pest control, fertility, pollination. Add one species at a time. |
| Ongoing | Document and iterate. Permaculture is a lifelong practice, not a project. The garden teaches — your job is to listen, record, and adjust. |
For the month-by-month tactical companion to this multi-year strategy — what to do on the soil in February, March, and so on, calibrated to the BC Interior — see Seasonal Calendar & Quick Reference in the Living Soil Course.