How to get an urban permaculture garden started

Story by Koren Helbig

Originally developed for farms and larger properties, permaculture has since been adapted for urban living, and these four simple habits will help you create your own.

Over time, I’ve realised that thoughtful design (understanding how light, water and people move through a space) lets you shape a garden where nature does much of the work for you. That’s where permaculture comes in, and it can work in spaces of any size.

Why permaculture?

The permaculture design system focuses on creating sustainable ways of living, inspired by the laws of nature. Its three ethics (earth care, people care and fair share) plus its 12 design principles are a practical way to design a garden (and lifestyle) that’s gentler on our planet, kinder to humans and equitable to all.

Four simple permaculture habits

Stack functions: Give one element multiple uses, such as beans climbing a trellis that also shades a west-facing window in summer.
Catch and store water: “Plant the rain” by digging shallow furrows to direct run-off or collecting water in buckets or barrels for later use.
Grow diverse varieties: Plant a mix of unusual or heirloom varieties to increase biodiversity, attract beneficial insects and help safeguard our food supply.
Plant local natives: Choose species from your bioregion to support insects, birds and other wildlife that naturally belong in your area,
boosting local biodiversity.

Designing your own garden

Because permaculture is a design system, its real power lies in the planning. By taking time to deeply understand your space, you can create a strategic garden design that pumps out organic food while becoming easier to manage. And you don’t need to be an expert to get started.

There are many ways to approach permaculture design, but Koren likes to use a simplified four-stage process: observe, design, implement, iterate. Learn more about how Koren uses them in her inner-city garden in our Summer 2026 issue, available here.