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 Mgee, our song of the month is by none other than Formidable Vegetable‘s latest single Grow A Garden. As well we all should!
Permablitz News
Join us for a Permablitz Guild Social Night featuring Charlie Mgee!
Good news! We’re having a big ol’ fashioned get together – and Charlie Mgee of Formidable Vegetable is going to perform for us!
Join us for a night of conversation, games, music, permie discussions, music, laughter and music. Did we mention the music? Charlie will be playing because he loves what we do, and we’re absolutely thrilled to have him.
It’s a great opportunity to meet a bunch of permaculturally-aware folk, hear some good music and share some good times. We can’t wait to see you there!
Permablitz #216 - Hastings
Last weekend 30 or so volunteers headed down to Hastings for a blitz at Andie’s place. The day was full of challenges – rain, shine, clay and lots of mud. But through it all the blitzers came together to build herb beds, raised veggie beds, espaliers and even a cat run!
Check out all the action here!
Permablitz Revisited - Burwood 10 Years Later
Sugar bananas
In 2009 a keen group of blitzers descended upon Sheh-Mae’s place to make a transformation – and returning ten years later the garden is virtually unrecognisable.
Sheh-Mae’s yard is now full of edible, medicinal and native plants, with a garden that attracts beneficial insects and gives her plenty of food – including more bananas than she knows what to do with!
Check out Sheh-Mae's garden now!
Hero of the Month
Herb Robert
Herb Robert. Photo taken by Graham Calow, Sapcot, 05 June 2006
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.
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.
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.
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
In the Garden
Check out those pumpkins! Gotta love it when they sprout from the compost…
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 that do well in April include…
- Beetroot
- Broad beans
- Burdock
- Carrot
- Chives
- Corn Salad
- Endive
- Florence Fennel
- Garlic
- Kale
- Kohlrabi
- Lettuce
- Mizuna
