You’ve spent the last few seasons fighting your yard instead of working with it—the tomatoes bolted in July, the rain ran straight into the neighbor’s driveway, and that spot by the garage never grew a single thing. You’ve heard about permaculture, the idea of designing your garden so it practically runs itself, but every time you search for permaculture design you get lost in a fog of soil biology charts and swale slope calculations. I’ve been there. After thirty years of gardening across three different hardiness zones, I can tell you this: you don’t need to become an engineer to grow a resilient, beautiful food forest. That’s exactly why I dug into “Permaculture Design Made Easy” (PDME)—to see if it really delivers on that promise, and more importantly, to give you the exact cost breakdown so you can decide if it fits your budget this season.
What Exactly Is Permaculture Design Made Easy?
Before we talk dollars and cents, let’s get clear on what this product is. “Permaculture Design Made Easy” isn’t a single webinar or a PDF you download on a whim. It’s a comprehensive system built by a team of experienced permaculturists to guide you from your first soil test to your first harvest—all in plain English, with zero technical jargon. Think of it as your seasonal, zone-aware mentor that walks you step-by-step through the entire design process.
The core package includes:
- The main video course (10+ hours of on-demand, step-by-step instruction)
- Printable design worksheets and templates
- Zone-specific planting guides (Hardiness Zones 3–10 are all covered)
- Lifetime access to a private community forum
- Seasonal email check-ins with reminders for your specific region
The system is built around three phases: Observe & Analyze (your land, your climate, your goals), Design & Place (mapping zones, water access, and sun paths), and Implement & Grow (putting plants in the ground and managing your system). It’s designed so you can work through it over a year, moving at your own pace.
The Core Cost: Breaking Down the Investment
Here is where I give you the straight dirt. The most common question I get from gardeners at my local extension office is, “Is this course worth the price, or can I just watch YouTube videos for free?” I’ve priced it all out so you don’t have to guess.
Option 1: The Complete “Permaculture Design Made Easy” Package
The flagship product you want to look at is the full course bundle. As of my last check (and these prices hold steady through the 2026 season), the complete package runs $297. That’s a single, one-time payment. No subscriptions, no upsells hidden in the fine print. You get everything I listed above, plus a few bonuses like a native pollinator plant database sorted by region.
Is $297 steep? For some budgets, yes. But consider what you’re replacing: a single consultation from a certified permaculture designer runs anywhere from $500 to $1,500 just for a site visit and a rough sketch. I know a local designer in my zone (Zone 6a) who charges $750 for a one-hour walkaround. The PDME course gives you the same foundational knowledge—plus the tools to maintain and adapt your design for years to come—for less than half that fee.
Option 2: The Standalone Digital Download
If you’re truly pinching pennies this season, PDME also offers a stripped-down version: the eBook + Workbook alone. This is the text-based version of the course. It lacks the video walkthroughs and the community forum access, but it does include all the printable templates and zone guides. Price tag: $47.
I generally recommend this only if you’re a very experienced gardener who just needs the design framework, or if you have a close friend who already owns the full course and can share their forum login (though that’s technically against the terms, so I won’t suggest it). For most people, the video demonstrations—showing you exactly how to read your land’s contours or where to place a rain garden—are worth the extra money.
Option 3: The “Design Your Yard” Consultation Add-On
After you finish the course, PDME offers a one-time, 60-minute video call with one of their senior designers. You share your completed design worksheets, they look over your map, and they give you personalized feedback specific to your site. This is an additional $149. It’s not required, but for tricky lots (heavy clay, steep slopes, urban shade) I’ve seen this save gardeners years of trial and error.
Comparison Table: Permaculture Design Made Easy vs. Alternatives
Let’s put the numbers side-by-side so you can see exactly where your money goes. I’ve included the most common alternatives gardeners consider.
Option
Upfront Cost
Ongoing Costs
Personalized Feedback
Skill Level Required
PDME Full Course
$297
$0
Community forum only
Beginner-friendly
PDME eBook Only
$47
$0
None
Intermediate+
Hire a Designer (1 visit)
$500–$1,500
$0 (but you’re on your own after)
Yes, expert feedback
None required
Books (e.g., Gaial’s Garden, Edible Forest Gardens)
$30–$80
$0
None
Varies (often high)
Free YouTube videos
$0 (time cost is high)
$0
None
Varies widely
The real cost of “free” YouTube content? Hours of sorting through conflicting advice, advice meant for California when you live in Maine, and no structure to apply it to your own yard. I’ve seen gardeners spend an entire season chaotically planting things that failed because they followed a generic “food forest” tutorial that didn’t account for their winter wind tunnel.
Hidden Costs You Should Budget For
The course itself is only one line item. When you actually start implementing permaculture design easy principles, you’ll need a few physical items. I want you to be ready for these so you aren’t caught off guard in late spring.
1. A Reliable Soil Test
Before you dig a single swale or plant a single fruit tree, you need to know what’s in your dirt. The course will walk
Originally published at permaeasy.com
Top comments (0)