| | | With two blitzes just gone and a party with Charlie Mgee around the corner, it's all happening here! |
| |  | | Blitzes, a Formidable Vegetable and a herb called Robert! | The last month or so has been a busy one for us in the Permablitz Collective – two crackin’ blitzes (a hundred kilometers apart!) by two amazing design teams, plus preparations are well underway for a good old fashioned shindig. We can’t wait!
There are changes in the wind as we bid a sad farewell to Charlotte and wish her well for her new beginnings out west. We’ve also been joined by the ridiculously talented Holly, who as well as possessing skills in writing and editing, also has a PhD in ethnobotany.
In honour of the upcoming performance from Charlie McGee, our song of the month is by none other than Formidable Vegetable‘s latest single Grow A Garden. As well we all should!
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| |  | | Have you been to a blitz and want a permablitz of your own?
Now's the time to get your name on the board for our trusty Designers Guild to transform your garden into an edible oasis!
Not sure if you qualify? Find out all the details here! |
| | | Blitz Requests | There must be something in the water at the Rocklyn Ashram, as in the last month the Designers’ Guild has been joined by no less than three graduates of their recent PDC program. A big welcome to Josh, Nick and Michelle!
If you’ve recently finished your PDC and want to flex your design skills, get in touch! We can arrange a mentor if it’s your first design, and are always available to make sure the process runs smoothly.
We’re currently looking for designers to help with a few suburban sites – are you up for the challenge?
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|  | | | | | | | | | | Hero of the Month: Herb Robert | | | Kushala Prem, permaculture trainer and artisan landscaper of Sacred Garden has brought us this month’s hero of the month – Herb Robert!
A truly under-appreciated plant, it is an attractive addition to the garden, and a supreme therapeutic herb – you can eat the leaves raw or dry them and consume as a light and refreshing tea.
Check it out!
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| | Beets and Pieces |  | | | Subpod - is this the next-level compost system? | The Subpod® in-garden compost system is beginning to get noticed – not bad for a team of compost enthusiasts from Byron Bay!
The Subpod is said to work with nature, using worms and microbes to compost organic waste without the odours, vermin, mess and hard work of traditional composting.
It looks ideal for integration with raised veggie beds – especially for community gardens, although it could also work well in a suburban context.
Check it out!
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|  | | | Regenerative agriculture finds solid backing as decades of success show renewal | Boorowa farmer Charlie Arnott has experienced the immense toll of drought on his cattle, his business and his wellbeing, but he has found a way through it all.
Fifteen years ago, reeling from the effects of the Millennium drought, he attended a workshop on regenerative agriculture that radically changed the way he farmed and, he believes, saved his life.
He had been farming conventionally using pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers, but the course taught him how to partner with nature instead of trying to control it.
It has turned around his farm’s capacity to deal with drought and he currently has plenty of water and grass for his livestock even as the drought in NSW intensifies.
Read the full article on ABC News.
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|  | | | 2040: Envisioning an Innovative Future – a review | Natalie is a mum, a teacher and Permablitz designer and last week she was invited to a teacher’s preview of Australian writer and director Damon Gameau’s latest film, 2040.
2040 is a feature-length documentary that is based around conversations between Gameau and his 4-year-old daughter, Velvet, and presents an inspiring pathway for change towards a more positive and sustainable future.
In the film, Damon Gameau travels the globe, interviewing young children and meeting with entrepreneurs and change makers, such as Paul Hawken and Kate Raworth. The film explores concepts such as climate change, carbon sequestration, economics, renewable energy, transport, technology and regenerative agriculture. Through a series of flash-forwards to 2040, Gameau uses dramatised sequences, animation and very cool visual effects to portray an inspiring and positive imagining of what our world might look like in 2040.
This beautiful and well-researched documentary is suitable for both children and adults, and is essential viewing for everyone who cares about the future of our planet. The film is being shown in cinemas in Melbourne in May, and its release is accompanied by a book publication, 2040: A Handbook for the Regeneration.
You can find out more at www.whatsyour2040.com
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|  | | Back in the Garden | With the removal of a lot of your summer plants and herbs from the garden you’ll have plenty of organic matter ready to add to your compost – and if you’re not sure which compost method to use, why not check out this compost how-to chart?
It’s also a good time to top up your mulch levels around your veggie beds and herb gardens, as keeping the weeds down is really important at this time of year.
If you have pumpkins growing, be sure to wait until the stem has dried out before harvesting. Winter is coming, and it’s a great time for pumpkin soup!
Environmental weeds like ivy, Sweet Pittosporum and Broad-leafed Privet are fruiting now. Birds will eat those fruits and spread the seeds around the neighbourhood, including into our rare patches of indigenous bush. If they are growing on your property, consider replacing them with more useful and beautiful plants – there are plenty of options!
Seeds you can plant in April include:
| | Remember: some seeds do better starting off in punnets, some in pots and some in the ground. To get the best from your seedlings be sure to check the best methods first!
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