The first edition of "Gaiaas Garden, " sparked the imagination of Americaas home gardeners, introducing permacultureas central message: Working with Nature, not against her, results in more beautiful, abundant, and forgiving gardens. This extensively revised and expanded second edition broadens the reach and depth of the permaculture approach for urban and suburban growers.Many people mistakenly think that ecological gardeningawhich involves growing a wide range of edible and other useful plantsacan take place only on a large, multiacre scale. As Hemenway demonstrates, itas fun and easy to create a abackyard ecosystema by assembling communities of plants that can work cooperatively and perform a variety of functions, including: Building and maintaining soil fertility and structure Catching and conserving water in the landscapeProviding habitat for beneficial insects, birds, and animalsGrowing an edible aforesta that yields seasonal fruits, nuts, and other foodsThis revised and updated edition also features a new chapter on urban permaculture, designed especially for people in cities and suburbs who have very limited growing space. Whatever size yard or garden you have to work with, you can apply basic permaculture principles to make it more diverse, more natural, more productive, and more beautiful. Best of all, once itas established, an ecological garden will reduce or eliminate most of the backbreaking work thatas needed to maintain the typical lawn and garden.