My goal this year is to find more ease and joy in my garden! I love my plants, but I don’t want my yard to feel like another job. And when I realized that was a theme that was gonna keep coming up, I knew I needed to do an episode on permaculture. So I invited my plant friend, Brandy Hall. She’s a permaculture designer and has helped me see it as a simple, practical way to garden. She calls herself a garden editor for homeowners, which means she helps people like us turn regular lawns into regenerative spaces that get better over time.

In this episode, we learn:

[02:45] Meet Brandy Hall of Shades of Green Permaculture!
[03:23] How did she become the permaculture expert that she is today?
[04:38] What pesticide exposure did to her family and why it changed everything
[08:24] How travel, farm life, and construction work pulled Brandy into this career
[10:51] Permaculture vs regenerative gardening vs rewilding vs ecological landscaping
[12:50] Is permaculture growing your own food?
[14:44] What are the three pillars of a regenerative landscape?
[14:55] Pillar #1 Restore water cycle
[15:11] Pillar #2 Soil fertility
[15:46] Espoma Organic
[17:22] Pillar #3 Building plant communities
[18:00] Applying permaculture to real neighborhoods
[21:19] How modern development broke the natural water cycle
[23:42] What permaculture does differently with water
[26:22] The biggest water management mistakes homeowners make
[27:23] How to work with your downspouts and rain gardens to manage water
[28:19] Why the soil is your best water storage system
[30:19] How much water actually falls on your roof
[31:55] What does a permaculture site consultation actually look like?
[33:23] How to “read” your own space
[34:47] How to choose plants for permaculture
[36:02] Native vs non‑native plants
[37:39] How to make a permaculture garden look aesthetic (even in an HOA)
[40:00] How Brandy designs beautiful & productive beds
[41:10] Where to start if you're new to permaculture
[42:53] Brandy's online course, The Regenerative Backyard Blueprint
[44:10] Where to find Brandy, her book, and her resources

Mentioned in our conversation:

The Complete Guide to Home Permaculture by Brandy Hall
The Cut Flower Handbook: Select, Plant, Grow, and Harvest Gorgeous Blooms by Lisa Ziegler

For Brandy's recommended permaculture habits,

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Follow Brandy:
Website
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube

Thank you to our episode sponsor:

Espoma Organic

Visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my Amazon storefront.

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