Buzzing, foraging, blitzing and really clucking good times

Now that’s what I call a swarm of bees!

You know it’s Spring when the chooks start getting broody and the bees begin to swarm… Our snowpeas are starting to finally give out after providing good munchings for a fair while now, and the fennel, broad beans and celery have all been going gangbusters. And for gardeners, it’s now a time to think about what summer crops to put in! Of course, hold off on putting in your tomatoes for the moment – the ground may not be warm enough for those yet…. so you just have to ignore all those big green sheds that are selling them for now!

To celebrate the wonderful time of buzzin around with joy, we’ve selected the classic Wild Honey by The Beach Boys for your pleasure. Enjoy!

Permablitz News

A Wild Food Foragers Guild Session

Permablitz presents the foraging and cooking rock-star Ingrid from Castlemaine!

Don’t miss out on going for a walk on the wild side with Ingrid, the maverick forager. Not only is she an expert in all things weed, Ingrid is also adept at cooking found objects and will teach you some easy and practical recipes using whatever is foraged on the day.

We also have a handful of copies of the latest issue of Pip Magazine to give away to some of the lucky participants. The magazine features a regular column on edible weeds so is the perfect reading material on the way home from the event. If you don’t manage to score one, don’t sweat it – it hits the streets really soon. Thanks Pip!

Tickets are $10 each or $6 for concession, with strictly limited places. The first session on October 15 has very nearly booked out, with a second event on October 22 literally just announced. Get in fast!

Permablitz #201 – Brunswick West

Two new garden beds!

The Permablitz crew recently blitzed Sandy’s place thanks to a design from Terry, Anne and Clare. A massive thanks to all the volunteers on the day who made quick work of sheet mulching, espaliering, garden-bed making, planting and more!

Check out the full story here!

Last month's Facebook picks

Family’s home is two tiny houses connected with a central sun room & deck

Ten backyard weeds you can actually eat

Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2017: The funniest animal photos of the year (so far)

Your guide to edible Australian flora

Tree Elbow – RetroSuburbia

Don’t be fooled – it’s still way too early to plant tomatos!

Hero of the month

Avocados

The amazing avocado – delicious, nutrient dense and the source of last year’s millenials-vs-millionaire great smashed avo/mortgage debate! Still, what could be better than having a ready source of avos in your backyard?

To read more about this amazing plant, click here!

How to: Sub Tropical Garden Planning for Melbourne and Victoria

Bananas

If you live in Melbourne, it is still possible to grow a range of tropical and subtropical fruit varieties. The key to success is creating the right micro-climate in your garden.

See what you can grow at home here!

Beets and Pieces

Coffee Sacks free to good homes

Fine weave compostable

You’re probably all well aware of how useful a coffee sack can be – from kindling carryall to sheet mulch fabulousness, to cushion covers/pictures for coffee addicts/seat wraps… The VEG Wicking Beds crew are using them to send their orders in (as they’re both reusable & compostable), but will certainly have spares in any given week.

The resource has been redirected from landfill and is sourced from a local roaster. Furthermore in the spirit of making the world an (even) better place, they’re being offered gratis for causes and mobs such as community gardens, school kitchen gardens, & like-minded bods, and a suggested gold coin donation if for personal use – with 100% of the proceeds going to the Women In Coffee organisation offering business micro-loans to those at the coffee source for life-betterment.

If you want to get your hands on these for your home, garden or secret coffee sack collection,  then check out the details here!

More than just drains: Recreating living streams through the suburbs

Lot sizes and backyards are shrinking in Australia at the same time as building density is increasing. So we cannot afford to overlook the potential of existing – but neglected – spaces in our suburbs, like drains.

In denser living environments, we will need new types of green and open space to meet the needs of residents.

Zoe Myers has written a compelling article about the benefits of utilising these spaces, and has studies supporting connections between the sounds of waterscapes and restorative emotional states and views. There are also obvious ecological and environmental benefits.

Potentially the most convincing reason for local governments to rehabilitate drains is that living streams increase neighbourhood property values. Research has shown the effect is significant. In the Perth suburb of Lynwood, for example, median home values within 200 metres of a wetland restoration site increased by A$17,000 to A$26,000 above the trend increase for the area.

Read the full article on Landscape Australia.

In the Garden

October is a great time to be a gardener – it’s the last chance to remove dead winter growth, and to dig up and divide perennial plants, and you can plant evergreen shrubs and trees – including citrus trees! There’s also a wealth of seeds and seedlings that the ground is now warming up for.

Things you can plant in October 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!