 Just a quick note in honour of World Soil Day in the International Year of the Soil – December 5th, 2015. Did you miss it? Never mind, we can celebrate it tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day….
FOUR gifts for you today – (1) For the first time in 18 months, I’ll actually deliver what I promised to write in this next blog; (2) a brief reminder of how to hug that soil we depend on for so much, (3) I’ll give a brief rundown on my new field of study (which is slowly becoming clearer to me), and (4) an early Christmas present – Kiwano under the proverbial microscope. Enjoy - Link to the Soil Hugger's Blog.
0 Comments
 Unsustainable September has well and truly spilled into October and November, but fear not, the learning continues as we prune, pick and propagate our way through all the events. Today we'll look at learnings (through failure and success!) from the season's propagation and seed viability testing, but we'll also look at Hawke Moths, Macrofauna extraction kits, Strawberry barrels overtaken by Taro and tomatoes (companion planting specialist that I am!), our most seasonal productive plant (with a twist) and even do a little DIY pot making. There is so much to share, so lets get on with it. Happy reading - Link to the Soil Hugger's Blog.   Happy Spring! So much has happened since we last spoke. We’ve run a Design Course; I’ve attended the Soil Science Australia WA State Conference; and submitted my Research Proposal. And as we gallop through Sustainable September, the silly season for every sustainable activity, workshop and festival, the pace is unlikely to slow. But I’ll keep you up to speed on activities as well as rambling on a little about some long promised topics or just the curiosities of the day. So today we’ll see some Fungi, revisit the Chila, check out my slowly greening thumb, spot a few creatures in the garden, get some links to recent conference info and look at a seed I have probably walked past a million times and never noticed. Finally there’ll be a shamelessly undisguised plug for our local Primary School Fete! Ah, should be short and sweet then! Head to Blog
 Another step in our adventure through the PDC. In this blog series we’ll try to explain what is covered through out each day of the PDC and why, so hopefully, you'll have enough information to determine what a course like this can or can’t offer to meet your current needs.
Day 4 consists of a technical morning of botany, the purpose of trees and how they can fulfill so many roles within a system. This is followed by an afternoon in the field exploring the importance of community and what is possible when like minded people work together. With an understanding of plants of different characteristics work together in a garden context is not so dissimilar to an understanding how individuals in the community work better with support, both for themselves and initiatives which encourage others. (If you missed Day 1 - click here; Day 2 - click here; Day 3 - click here)  Another step in our adventure through the PDC. In this blog series we’ll try to explain what is covered through out each day of the PDC and why, so hopefully, you'll have enough information to determine what a course like this can or can’t offer to meet your current needs. Next Up - DAY 3 - Climate; Buildings/structures - design and retrofit, materials, orientation, examples to observe; appropriate technologies, plant 'retrofit'; rainwater, greywater and all water capture/loss; and finally just a little bit of where Urban Animals fit in (both our introductions and those that make their own way into our oasis....
Day 3 sees us back to our comfortable base camp looking at all things planty as well as a community adventure to look and discuss the features (and mental climate required for) school and community gardens. (If you missed Day 1 - click here; Day 2 - click here)  We continue our adventure through the PDC. In this blog series we’ll try to explain what is covered through out each day of the PDC and why, so hopefully, you'll have enough information to determine what a course like this can or can’t offer to meet your current needs. Next Up - DAY 2 - Soil, Nutrient Cycling, Seed Saving, Pruning, Propagation and just a little bit of Nursery building and importance....
Day 3 sees us head off on a field trip and look at home design for lower energy usage..... (If you missed Day 1 - click here)  Like every big question in life (let alone the more important ones about Soil!), everyone wants the same answer….. THE RIGHT ANSWER.
But everyone who has been involved with Permaculture (or asked Charles a question) will know that we’ll all get the same answer…. IT DEPENDS. In this BLOG SERIES we’ll try to explain what is covered through out each day of the PDC and why, so hopefully, you'll have enough information to determine what a course like this can or can’t offer to meet your current needs. First Up - DAY 1 For past PDC-ers, welcome to memory lane..... Plus a treat at the end for those who persist!  Back to the light and fluffy blog day - this gal is a stunner! Today it’s the one I’ve been most curious about….. what is its purpose? The Guru is definitely thinking past its beauty as I have seen it pop up in our past blogs, but never as the lead role. Well now it’s her time to shine – introducing The Lion’s Ear or Klip Dagga (Leonotis nepetifolia)…… But watch out for the elephant in the room ;). Once you've read the blog, you'll understand why I want a bunch of Klip Dagga flowers for Mother’s Day (which should be everyday by the way!) ........ but I want them still on the plant and preferably with a bird, a predatory mite and a climbing purple king attached, please! 
Come for a wander around our yard and see what early April has to offer.... you'll see successes and failures; hear of experiments and accidents; and of course be exposed to a few SH opinions and ponderings....plus we'll do something we have NEVER done before.... I'll take a short pause on the investigations of seedlings, "pretty" plants, nature's patterns, fruiting wonders and resident creatures, to pay homage to the larger beasts that provided protection for them all over the hot summer.... Until Next Time, Enjoy. SH (BLOG LINK)  We’ve already gone through (a) the Permaculture Ethics and Principles; (b) the layout of the property – have an aerial diagram and some initial interpretations; (c) performed an assessment of the impact of nature on the block (the Sun’s mainly, but also wind, water, fire and others) and (d) finally we started a ramble through the client questionnaire (Part 1) and the reasoning behind the specific questions. And it was there on Christmas Eve, with baited breath, I left you all …. mid way through the questionnaire as preparation for Santa’s arrival could no longer be put off. And so it is only fitting that, more than 3 months later, as we bask in the cooler weather of an alternate super long weekend, we head back to pick up the proverbial design ball and run with it…. PART 2 - Completing the Story |
AuthorTerrra Perma are a Permaculture - education and design team from Perth Western Australia. Archives
December 2015
Categories |
RSS Feed
