No garden!

Well, forget about a no-dig garden, we simply don't have a garden at the moment! Thus, it's been a loooong while since I've posted to this blog.

We have begun some renovations on our house which has, until recently, turned our productive backyard into a building site! We have built a deck that transitions out to the garden, but there's still some work to do to finish things off and re-connect to our gardening activities.

Thus, we are researching ideas and designs for our backyard, as we have an opportunity to "start from scratch".

I've been reading up on Permaculture Design (Simon gave me Bill Mollison's lovely book recently) and we are turning our thoughts to a sustainable garden that can produce things for us but also for itself to keep it self-sufficient (you know, mulches, composting, seasonal mixes, etc).


So, while we are keen to put in rainwater tanks and a grey water system, we need to also think about the layout and the slope of the property and use the best areas for the best fit to our (outdoor) activities. And of course, we need to look after our little ladies who are keeping us in a fine stock of eggs!

We also want to maintain our worm farm and also a space (or theme) in which the kids can play and explore.

Between now and then (likely about 12 months) I am gathering together plants, propagating things we like the look of, eyeing off secondhand bricks, sleepers and limestone blocks and researching ways to generally make our garden summer-proof here in Perth - and ouch, what a summer we've just had! Hot, dry and simply bears NO fruit/veg wihtout constant water and shade (two things we don't as a constant).

So, wile we will maintain a small garden bed over the coming cooler months, our focus will shift more to our bigger plans in creating a backyard garden to cherish.

Happy gardening!

How edible is your town?

An entertaining talk by Pam Warhurst about growing vegies across our towns and cities where land is unused (even growing stuff in cemeteries!).

"There's so many people that don't really recognize a vegetable unless it's in a bit of plastic with an instruction packet on the top.” (Pam Warhurst)

Growing vegies, Pam says, builds community, builds resilience, and builds lifelong strategies for healthy communities, all through the power of small actions.

Inspiring just to "do it" :o)



Happy gardening!

Eco Fair in Mosman Park

If you have some time tomorrow you might like to check out the inaugural Eco Fair at St Luke's in Mosman Park.

Here's hoping the rain holds off ...at least for some of the time!

Happy gardening!

Gardening buddies and grower extraordinaires

Since moving back from Canberra we've managed to stay in touch with some of our great buddies there.

I got an email from my mate Helen to say they'd set up a new website for their one acre farm, Wynlen House, located in Braidwood. If you are ever that way do stop in; Braidwood is a beautiful part of the world, and Helen and Bron are usually found at the local market on a weekend flogging their amazing organic produce!

Produce from Wynlen House. Photo courtesy of www.wynlenhouse.com.

I've popped their link under the Events area on my blog here.

This is what you can achieve when you have a passion for dirt :o) . . . Happy gardening!

At Home with Josh Byrne

At Home with Josh Byrne a photo by margoc on Flickr.

We visited Josh Byrne's home garden last weekend. It's amazing what you can do in a small space! The front garden is a water wise native garden and looks so lush. The retaining recycled limestone wall really gives the garden form and structure and no doubt acts as a bit of a water diversion to other parts of the garden. Clancy loved the sleepers, stepping along to different areas, one part with a sort of wishing well again made from the same material as the retaining wall - there was a sense of adventure about it all.

The rear yard is amazing: an edible garden and sensory feast using raised beds, pots, bins, a vertical herb garden, plus a sandpit and cubbyhouse for the kids, surrounded by aromatic herbs.

I'll say Josh certainly has an eye for design, using the space well to create areas of activity and relaxation - I especially loved the pergola overgrown with a passionfruit vine and the inviting lounge suite beneath!

Mostly, I wanted to see firsthand his greywater set up - very high tech (well it looked that way) - water is probably the biggest issue Perth gardeners face.

Well, happy sustainable gardening... it's going to be another long, hot Summer!

Sustainable House Day 2011

Part of Sustainable September includes Sustainable House Day. We visited an open house on Sunday morning, a renovation (retaining the small, street-facing original double brick home) using passive solar and universal design principles throughout. It was really helpful to talk with the owner and hear their experiences on the ins and outs of designing and building a home using green principles.

Here are my take away thoughts:

• Get a number of quotes from architects and builders before making a final decision.
• Have a good ongoing relationship with your architect (they can also help when talking with the builders, especially if issues arise).
• Be prepared to compromise if necessary for practicality sake (it's incredibly expensive to take a purist's view on sustainable design and building!) and be wary of "green washing".
• Be available regularly at least to stay in touch with progress, especially if there are suggested design changes.
• Engage builders who are knowledgable in sustainable building practices, materials and approaches (including minimising on-site rubbish and disruption where possible).
• Be realistic (and well prepared) about budget and timeframes!
• Think beyond the initial build/renovation (i.e. future proofing and ongoing maintenance needs, etc).
• Be prepared for a relatively stressful time throughout. :o)

And the garden? Don't leave it til the end, build it into the design and get stuck in! :o)

Happy gardening!

Garden efficiencies and cycles: seed propagation

Having had our no-dig garden now for some five months, we are beginning to get into a bit of a cycle: fennel made way for garlic (planted earlier and now quite large) and new seed plantings of Swiss Rainbow Chard and parsley. The snow peas have virtually finished (with some saved for seeds), just as the dwarf beans began to take off. With the beans in full tilt we planted some purple runner beans from seed (using teepee style sticks over fennel for support and bug protection), and beetroot and carrot seeds, plus some coriander seedlings (sown during Winter).

It's great to see cycles in action side-by-side simultaneously in the one small space - an ongoing cycle of life!

Past...

Present...

Future...!

I'm also becoming more aware of the need to be efficient in the garden, not just with precious resources such as water, but with seeds and seedlings, and fertilisers too. I've been researching and reminding myself of ways to store and propagate seed from brocolli, peas and beans, and have struck various herbs like rosemary and marjoram. We've also propogated some green tomato ('Zebra') seeds - hoping they'll germinate!

Being efficient and effective with fertilisers and composting is also important - so far we have one compost bin, but ideally could use two or even three (being about 80 litres in volume), to spread the benefits further and more regularly, and minimise the need for buying compost. Others have been successful at growing compost, mulches, and green manures, as is key to permaculture practices. So our peas and beans can be turned into the ground once harvest is finished, and the fennel leaves bulk out the compost heap too. As the lemongrass kicks in that can provide some mulch/compost.

I'm beginning to see the real benefits of the no-dig approach as well - the soil is really friable and free-draining and the plants seem to grow more vigorously. It's easy to beef up a zone after one crop in preparation for another as well - although due to our small-sized garden this seems more intensive to do!

And finally, our new limestone raised garden bed now has some tomatoes planted - the big Aussie Grosse Lisse, Roma, and Beefsteak varieties! Bring on Summer (and Spring has just begun)!

Happy gardening!

Remember Sustainable September

Don't forget it's Sustainable September in Perth! Of course, every month should be (is) filled with our sustainable efforts, but this month provides lots of opportunitites to highlight the ways in which you can be sustainable in your home and business. Check out the Calender of Events for the month.

Happy gardening!