Heating up in the year of the rooster!
Welcome to 2017, the Chinese year of the Rooster! Whether this means that we’re all going to be getting up at the break of dawn and singing for the world to hear remains to be seen…
Right now the summer heat is well and truly kicking in, so make sure your plants and pets are being well protected from the worst the heat has to offer – and if you’ve got bees and a worm-farm, they ‘re going to need a bit of love in the heat too!
To honour the heat that is warming us all our latest song of the month is the 50-year old rocker Summer In the City by The Lovin’ Spoonful.
Permablitz News
2016 - That's a wrap!
Thanks team for an amazing job!
2016 was big. And I mean BIG! We had over 24 blitzes and permabees throughout the year, 2 seed dating events, 4 movie nights, 4 guild sessions, almost 600 people volunteeer for the various blitzes, and 1 massive Permablitz Turns Ten party – it was a ripper!
Check out all the 2016 blitz action here!
Permablitzin' on Radio National!
Recently three Permablitz organisers from across Australia joined Radio National’s Michael Williams on Blueprint for Living, where Adrian from Permablitz Melbourne, Sheryl from Permablitz The Gong and Renee from Permaculture West spoke about what a Permablitz is and how it brings communities together.
Permablitz #191 – Richmond (Dame Nelly Melba Kinder)
Prepping the garden bed
Permablitz has long supported kinders and preschools, and on a lovely Saturday volunteers and parents alike completed the transformation of Dame Nellie Melba kinder into a sustainability wonderland.
Check out all the action here!
Permablitz #193 – Fairfield
Later in the afternoon, it's all looking good!
A fun filled day in Fairfield spent preparing an edible verge, building a pond and preparing the world’s best chook house… It’s the Permablitz way!
Check out the pics from the day!
Permablitz #194 – Eltham North
The sweltering day was made cooler by the enclave of native vegetation throughout Anne-Marie’s Eltham property, enabling the volunteers to complete their edible garden, with compost bays, swales, a pond and more!
See the full report with pics here!
Hero of the Month
Tamarillo
The Tamarillo, or Tree Tomato, is an attractive foliage specimen tree, growing to 3-4m and fruit within 1-2 years – as such they’re one of the best-value perennials you can ask for!
The tree isn’t long-lived (5-7 years depending on your climate) and doesn’t get terribly large so even if tamarillos aren’t for you then it’s easy to remove the tree and plant something else instead – we doubt this’ll happen though!
If you’d like to try a good recipe, check out this: Poached Tamarillo in Honey and Vanilla Syrup – yum!!
Try one and see for yourself. Remember, it’s NOT a tomato…
Read more about this awesome plant here!
A Herb For Thought: Burdock
Some burdock for thought
After our festive season decadencies there is no better time than now to get into burdock. The root is a perfect accompanying vegetable or herb to include as you set to release some of that toxic load and make healthful news year’s resolves!
Find out all about burdock here!
Bits and Pieces
A record player on the mend
Helping your possessions stand the test of time with Repair Cafés
Have you ever had a favourite item that you wished you could fix instead of throwing it out? It may be a guitar, an old radio, a game, or even a favourite old pair of jeans! In days gone by, your grandparents’ generation most likely *would* have fixed these items themselves, or at the very least known exactly where to go to get it repaired. Watch repairers, seamstresses, shoe repairers and even radio & tv repair shops used to be commonplace throughout the suburbs, but in an age where replacement is often cheaper than the cost of actually repairing these items, many such businesses have disappeared.
It doesn’t need to be this way.
We sat down with Michelle Fisher who set up Melbourne’s first Repair Café in the Seddon/Yarraville/Footscray area, and spoke about her passion for the project. Read the full story here!
Kat Lavers with some of the produce from her garden and eggs from her quails. Picture: Sarah Matray
How to grow 300kg of veg in the ‘burbs
Permablitz’s very own Kat Lavers has recently won the Home and Garden category in local Sustainability Awards – nice work!! She built the garden, nicknamed The Plummery, due to her love of fresh food and said its success was based on its permaculture design which uses minimal resources for growing produce.
“I think it’s a lot more convenient to go out and pick what you want for dinner and head inside instead of going to the supermarket.”
In the Garden
Right now it’s getting hot, so make sure you keep your plants watered – especially those in pots or containers! Make sure you cover peaches and nectarines with bird-netting to protect the fruit, and if you thin out fruit on apples and pears, now is the time to do it. You can also harvest early potatoes, garlic, shallots and globe artichokes. If you want to prepare for the winter harvest now (really!) sow some winter brassicas such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower and swedes.
Seeds you can plant in January include:
- Amaranth
- Asparagus Pea
- Beetroot
- Burdock
- Carrot
- Chives
- Climbing beans
- Cucumber
- Dwarf beans
- Kohlrabi
- Lettuce
- Marrow
- Mustard greens
- Oregano
- Parsley
- Radish
- Rosella
- Salsify
- Silverbeet
- Sunflower
- Swedes
- Sweet corn
- Turnip
- Zucchini
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!
From all at Permablitz Melbourne decentral – stay cool and enjoy the summer vibes!
