If you have been watching the edible garden you will see an example of permaculture gardening. In this the forest ecosystem has been designed and recreated to optimise space and create optimal yield. In a forest we see things grow beneath the ground, on the floor of the forest, climb up trees and trees themselves which form the ‘canopy’. If plants are planted in a way which mimics this system one can create an ecosystem which has 4 layers of growth. In some permaculture references they say you can have up to 7 layers of growth I have simplified that in the picture below to just 4 layers instead. In either explanation the productivity of this system increases the yield of your land per acre at least 4 fold. This is due to the ability to grow many things in the same area.

‘No-Dig’ gardening method
Permaculture is anti-digging because of the new knowledge about the destruction which can be done to the fertility of soil by tilling it every year. This can be observed in fields which have been farmed for many years and are essentially sand. To keep this soil fertile many chemical fertilisers are added to the soil to allow it to produce any food. However, farmers may still notice a reduction in yields compared with the past. Under the soil lives a fungus called Mycorrhiza which forms a fine web below the surface which helps lessen the amount of chemical pollution which gets to a plant, reduces soil erosion, and produces more nutritious plants. It also sequesters CO2 and deposits carbon in the soil (therefore, useful against global warming). When we dig the soil, this fungi is broken up and will take a while before it grows back. It also exposes the soil to erosion through rain which will wash away the nutrients in the soil, and also worms and other bugs are exposed for birds to gorge themselves on. These delicate life forms are all vital to maintain good soil fertility. The best way to maintain this quality and suppress weeds without having to use chemicals or constantly weed is to mulch. A guide to mulching will soon be found in the ‘making’ section.