Permaculture Principle No. 10 is “Use and Value Diversity.”

Permaculture, in simple terms, is a way of designing and creating systems – like gardens or farms working in harmony with nature.

The word “permaculture” itself comes from combining “permanent” and “agriculture” or “culture,” reflecting a focus on sustainability and long-term thinking.

Permaculture was co-founded by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in Tasmania, Australia, in the 1970s. Both Mollison and Holmgren played significant roles in developing and popularising permaculture.

Bill Mollison, an Australian ecologist, researcher, and teacher, was a driving force behind the development of permaculture. He observed natural ecosystems and traditional agricultural practices, inspiring the creation of a holistic design system.

David Holmgren, also an Australian ecologist, collaborated with Bill Mollison in refining and expanding permaculture principles. Holmgren’s contributions have been crucial in shaping the design framework and principles of permaculture.

In a nutshell, permaculture is like learning from nature’s playbook to create sustainable, efficient, and harmonious systems that support both the environment and people.

It’s about being smart, observing, and working together with the Earth to create a better way of living.

There are 12 Permaculture Principles and we will be looking at each one every month over the year and how we use it in our garden

Permaculture Principle No. 10:

“Use and Value Diversity.”

Permaculture Principle No. 10 is “Use and value diversity.” This principle emphasises the importance of incorporating a variety of elements within a system to enhance resilience, stability, and productivity. Here’s a detailed breakdown of this principle into explanation, application, and expected outcome:

“Use and value diversity” highlights that diversity in nature, such as species variety in ecosystems that play a key role in resilience and adaptability. A diverse system is less vulnerable to pests, diseases, or environmental stresses because different elements support and balance one another.

In permaculture, valuing diversity means designing systems with multiple species, functions, and interactions, allowing them to complement each other and perform various roles.

This principle also applies socially, as a diversity of ideas, skills, and perspectives strengthens community projects and builds adaptive, inclusive systems.

In Gardening and Farming:

Biodiverse Hedgerows: Create hedgerows of mixed plants around gardens or fields. These provide habitat for beneficial insects, birds, and pollinators, increasing resilience against pests and promoting biodiversity.

Polyculture vs. Monoculture: Plant a diverse mix of crops instead of a single species to prevent pest outbreaks and improve soil health. Polycultures mimic natural ecosystems, where each plant species supports others in some way.

Companion Planting: Pair plants that benefit each other. For example, grow nitrogen fixing plants (like beans) alongside heavy nitrogen users (like corn) to naturally enrich the soil and optimise space.

In Social and Community Systems:

Skill Diversity: Encourage a variety of skills and backgrounds in community groups. A community garden, for example, benefits from members with knowledge in areas like gardening, construction, and local ecology.

Resource Sharing: Embrace the diversity of resources and knowledge by creating tool libraries, seed banks, or skill-sharing workshops. These foster collaboration and help build a resilient, connected community.

Inclusive Decision-Making: Engage people from diverse backgrounds in community decisions, as this brings a wider range of ideas and fosters inclusivity, improving the chances of long-term success and satisfaction.

In Building and Infrastructure Design:

Materials and Energy Sources: Use a variety of materials in construction, selecting options that are locally available, durable, and suited to the climate. Consider diverse renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, and biomass based on location and resource availability.

Water Sources and Systems: Integrate various water sources and management techniques (e.g., rainwater harvesting, grey water recycling, and wells) to build resilience in case one source fails.

Climate Adaptation: Design buildings with diverse features that adapt to different weather conditions, such as natural shading, rainwater collection, and wind ventilation, which can reduce dependence on external inputs.

Resilience Against Disruptions:

A diverse system is inherently more resilient. In an agricultural setting, a pest outbreak or disease is less likely to devastate a diverse polyculture than a monoculture. Diverse energy and water sources ensure stability even if one source is compromised.

Increased Productivity and Health:

Diverse systems are often more productive because different elements support each other, creating a healthier ecosystem. For example, companion planting in a garden can boost yields, while a mix of pollinator friendly plants encourages biodiversity.

Reduced Need for External Inputs:

By incorporating diverse elements that naturally support and balance each other, systems rely less on external inputs like pesticides or fertilisers. This leads to cost savings and reduced environmental impact.

Sustainability and Long-Term Success:

Diversity within systems leads to long-term sustainability because they are able to evolve and adapt to new challenges. This applies both ecologically and socially, making diverse systems robust and capable of enduring over time.

By applying “Use and value diversity,” permaculture practitioners create systems that are resilient, adaptive, and productive. This principle nurtures an environment of mutual support among all elements, fostering strength through diversity and enriching both ecological and social systems.

There are 12 permaculture Principles we will be looking at each one every month

When looking at implementing the design into our garden we looked at setting our sections up into different areas that suited, we have

1. Food Forest Area
2. Raised Bed Area
3. Kitchen Courtyard

This is a shot of our home showing the surrounding area. We are on a hill, at the top of the hill and behind us the fields you see are an even steeper hill

This is a long term project that will take time to grow and fill out, but we are adding to it each year and still getting harvests from the berries. Last year was our first year getting some apples from the trees. Observing and self regulating as we go along.

Take a look at some of the starting blogs for more details of how we got started and what we have added A Little About Us and Where The Food Forest Has Started From – 2022 Update and Food Forest Area- New Fruit Trees Planted For 2023

We integrate plants, companion planting and guilds throughout our areas from the larger spaces of the food forest down to the smaller raised beds. There is always a mix of crops planted next to each other to support each of them, from pest control companion planting such as chives, nasturtium and calendula to nitrogen fixing plants like lupins, peas and beans. Take a look at our tour to see what we plant up in these areas

PDC Permaculture Design Certificate

Peter received his Permaculture Design Certificate online in 2019 with Oregon State Uni. Certified by the Permaculture Institute of North America. Taught by: World Renowned Permaculturist Andrew Millison

Peter designed our garden using the Permaculture Design processes and the 12 Permaculture Principles.

Katrina finished her Permaculture Design Certificate Professional PDC PRO in 2024 to continue the process and pass all the knowledge onto Clayton and others.

Katrina & Clayton and family live in East Ayrshire and share their daily life in the garden on instagram. They practice permaculture principles in the garden, reducing & repurposing waste whenever they can. Katrina shows how home educating in nature has helped Clayton thrive. 

Clayton Completed The 2 Grow and Learn Courses with the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society This Year. Clayton has just turned 17, Autistic, Non Verbal & has been Home Educated for the last 7yrs. Katrina & Peter both hold their PDC Permaculture Design Course from Oregon State University 

They featured on BBC Beechgrove Gardens Ep23 2022 and returned in 2023 for an update, Katrina & Clayton are also columnists for ScotlandGrows Magazine, Guest Blog for Caledonian Horticulture as well as working with Gardeners’ World Magazine and many other brands. They are also Authors of the new children’s book: Clayton’s New Garden Journey: A Story of Autism and Growing available on Amazon 

Author of the new children’s book series: Clayton’s Garden Journey: A Story of Autism and Gardening and Sowing, Growing, Weather and Seasons Weekly Gardening Record Book available on Amazon