The Principles of Permaculture were originally set out in Bill Mollison’s and Reny Mia Slay’s Introduction to Permaculture and have been variously re-interpreted and restated in many permaculture publications since. They are:

• Relative location. Each element performs many functions. Each important function is supported by many elements.
• Efficient energy planning: zone, sector and slope.Using biological resources.
• Cycling of energy, nutrients, resources.
• Small-scale intensive systems; including plant stacking and time stacking.
• Accelerating succession and evolution.
• Diversity; including guilds.
• Edge effects.
• Attitudinal principles: everything works both ways, and permaculture is information and imagination-intensive

Subsequently David Holmgren has provided an alternative and complementary set of Permaculture Design Principles in his major work Permaculture, Principles & Pathways Beyond Sustainability. They are:

• Observe and Interact
• Catch and Store Energy
• Obtain a Yield
• Apply Self-regulation and Accept Feedback
• Use and Value Renewable Resources and Services
• Produce No Waste
• Design from Patterns to Details
• Integrate Rather than Segregate
• Use Small and Slow Solutions
• Use and Value Diversity
• Use Edges and Value the Marginal
• Creatively Use and Respond to Change