“Running Water” by Jessica Melling
There are two very important reasons why we should all be doing our bit to help conserve water. There is the obvious money-saving benefit that comes with using less water but in my view the second reason is something most of us do not about nearly enough – the environment.
In the developed world, having easily accessible water is not considered a luxury, but although we take running water for granted, the fact is that less than 1% of all fresh water in the world is easily accessible to humans.
In under-developed countries, more than 884 million people lack easy access to safe, clean water, and this number is still growing. This means that only about one in every eight people has water when and where they need it. This alone should motivate you to use water sparingly, but in addition to this; using water, particularly hot water, contributes to global warming by increasing the emissions of greenhouse gases. The average family in the developed world uses about 500 litres of water per day, which produces around 1.5 tons of greenhouse gasses every year. Click to continue…
Guest post by Yvonne Lee of www.bargainhunter.com.au
It’s currently mango season and I’ve been consuming a heap of mangoes. I have been buying cases of mangoes (16 to a box) for around $10 – $20. I started buying up early due to the (then) ridiculous prices of bananas. Now the bananas have dropped in price to $0.99 per kilo I’m still buying my mangoes but have backed it off a bit. I’ve noticed the mangoes are coming from all around Australia now. Early in the season I bought ones from Northern Territory and now it seems as if my mangoes are from QLD but I’ve also seen Western Australian mangoes in the stores. I’m not sure if they have always come from those places and I hadn’t paid attention to them previously. Nowadays all the mangoes seem to have labels on them so they are easier to identify where they are from.
With the glut of mangoes at our place I was filling up our ice cream container for worm food really quickly, especially since the pit took up a lot of space in the container! I decided to google how to grow a mango tree from a pit. It seemed a logical thing to do…anyway there were some wonderful pictures, instructions and YouTube videos which helped me. Click to continue…
March’s balancing act by lululemon athletica
Making New Year’s resolutions is a great way to plan for success in the new year. Some people may decide to travel to at least 3 countries or pick up gardening as a hobby 
, while others will wish to play an instrument or try wind surfing. These are fantastic ideas, but my question is this: if you don’t have the energy and motivation to do any of them, what is the point? This is why I am writing these New Year’s resolutions with strength and radian health in mind. It’s actually really simple to have healthy body and clear mind, but it might require changing a few rusty habits.
In fact, healthy people and healthy Earth are not separate, they are part of the same goal. One cannot exist without the other. With Permaculture we strive to create systems that are efficient, sustainable and beneficial to humans, while nurturing the landscapes. I would extend this definition to aiming to create the healthiest and most lucid people on Earth. When we focus our minds on treating ourselves with love and care, it is inevitable that we will want to be surrounded by an environment of health and balance. The opposite is also true. It’s hard to feel low in a vibrant garden of beauty and absolute abundance. Click to continue…
Planet – Jones Valley Urban Farm by Southernpixel
Whether you are switching from conventional gardening, or (like me) just jumping into organic gardening direct, it can be confusing to navigate the new and unfamiliar vocabulary. Knowing your organic gardening terms will help you feel confident when selecting your seeds, planning the garden or reading gardening magazines.
It seems only appropriate to address the meaning of the term ‘organic’ first. What does ‘organic gardening’ really mean? Click to continue…
It’s beginning of winter in Sydney, but planting in the garden continues. Below is a list of cool-season vegetables that can be planed June. I received this list in a newsletter from Gardenate and then enhanced it by adding photos and my own tips.
1. Cabbage (Brassica oleracea)
Where: grow in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks
Harvest: August – October
Click to continue…
When we think of food gardens, we often envision neat rows of tomato and cucumber plants waiting to be harvested. While those plants are definitely rightful citizens of kitchen gardens, growing food plants in isolation from other natural inhabitants is inefficient. When we plant a single kind of crop over large areas (called monoculture), we make the plants and soil vulnerable to pest invasions, drought and depletion. Instead, the goal is to create eco-systems in which each plant fulfils multiple functions and supports the other plants. These functions include attracting beneficial insects, deterring pests, enriching the soils and keeping moisture in.
Many of the plants below are found in the wild and are even considered to be “weeds”! Actually, weeds are really just plants that are “unwanted” in a particular area, rather than placed there by design. The key is to learn the different functions of plants and to create synergistic relationships between them. Whatever needs are fulfilled by the plants themselves, that’s the work that the gardener does not have to do. Click to continue…
Growing your own food is exciting, not only because you get to see things grow from nothing into ready-to-eat fruits and veggies, but you also don’t have to worry about the pesticides they might contain, and you definitely cut down on the miles they—and you—have to travel.
If you’re up to the challenge—and it really isn’t much of one—growing your own food can be so rewarding. And so much cheaper! Just be sure to choose the right planter or container, learn how to maintain it properly, and go find yourself some seeds! (Or starter plants.)
Here’s a starter list of all the crazy things even urban gardeners, without space for a garden, can grow at home. Click to continue…
