The Permaculture Home Garden [Paperback]

Linda Woodrow (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1920

A totally integrated system of gardening - a labour-saving way to grow fruit, vegetables and herbs that taste great and help to keep the environment healthy.

Product Details

• Paperback: 183 pages
• Publisher: Allen Lane (January 1, 1920)
• ISBN-10: 0670865990
• ISBN-13: 978-0670865994
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #950,100 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring and Grounded, Wonderful to Read, August 25, 2003

By 

Jennifer Freeman (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Permaculture Home Garden (Paperback)

This was the first permaculture book I have ever read and it was so wonderful to read, I have been inspired to create a Canadian version of Linda Woodrow's mandala garden. The book hits home to me because it is realistic. She tells us exactly how much time and work energy we will need to put in to this system to recieve bountiful gains, and she is a mother of two kids, not a research scientist telling us how to garden.
The book is enjoyably light to read and sometimes funny, not a boring technical gardening book. I recommend this book to everyone, it has become my bible.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good book, but flawed..., January 15, 2009

By 

Leanne "daharja" (Wingatui, New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Permaculture Home Garden (Paperback)

This is a good book - thorough, instructive, easy-to-read, and well thought-out. Every aspect of the permaculture 'mandala' system is covered, and the section on moveable 'chook domes' is worth the cover price in itself.

HOWEVER - the author fails to deal with some issues that may cause problems in this system, may make it less efficient, and may cause problems for some home permaculture enthusiasts.

The first of these is that the system discussed in the book works very well if starting from a flat, square, bare piece of land with nothing already planted and established.

However, this is not usually the case. Most gardeners come to their property with established planting that they do not wish to remove even though the plants may be in awkward positions.

The book does not discuss how to deal with strong slopes or cliff gardens, and does not discuss water restrictions which may be problematical. In short, it all works very well on paper but may not work brilliantly in reality.

Then there is the issue of the 'chook domes' themselves. Gardeners in cold and very windy climates may find that these structures are simply not suitable and workable, yet they are central to the premise of the book.

Overall, the book is worthwhile, but I would argue that better permaculture books exist for a similar price. Jackie French's 'Backyard Self-Sufficiency' is excellent, and most of Bill Mollison's books, though pricier, are a good grounding in permaculture.

It is also important to note that many copies of this book exist second-hand. If you are a keen permaculturalist and food gardener, I'd recommend a secondhand copy, or a copy from your library.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Efficient backyard vegetable, fruit and herb production, April 2, 2006

By 

Richard Walter (Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Permaculture Home Garden (Paperback)

This is the best book Ive read to date on food production in the suburban (or rural) backyard. The author makes very clever use of many permaculture principles and comes up with an incredibley efficient, yet enivironmentally friendly and sustainable system of vegetable and herb production.

I also like this book as it balances the practical with the theory in a balanced and entertaining format.