The European Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)… first introduced to Australia in 1822 and is relied upon for pollination services in many of our large agricultural systems. Australia’s Honey and Bee-export industries are lucrative also, in large part due to us remaining the only continent still without many of the Honey Bee’s natural parasites such as …
Primary Producers get a very rough trot with food prices driven by harsh deals and bullying from Supermarket chains so the Supermarket chains can still make profit while selling a products at unreasonably cheap prices. SM chain ability and willingness to import food from far afield helps devalue locally produced foodstuffs. This pressure on farmers …
Sometimes I hear people say… “I cant have a garden, it’s too much responsibility and I like to go away on holidays”. Little do they know, it is possible to have the best of both worlds!! So much of the joy of growing using Permaculture principles and techniques is setting up a somewhat self-regulating and …
Productive gardens that can withstand holiday neglect! Read More »
Beware: More philosophical discussion ahead. I write this post as I have had difficulties in the past reconciling the feeling of powerlessness to change the issues facing us in the world. Environmental degradation, climate change, war… so many things seem too big for little old me to make a difference. BUT I CARE, and I …
Zone i… the internal Permaculture Zonation. Permaculture psychology 101. Read More »
The other day, an older white male was wandering by a Merewether verge in which several Acacias (Wattles) have been planted. The predominant comment this man made was… “Wattles?! Why would you plant those useless things?!” This reaction is one that I have some across a number of times now, and I believe that it …
Citrus fruits come in many shapes, sizes and flavours… a large number of which have been cultivated as food by humans for many thousands of years. Apart from your more obvious/better-known fruits in the western world (ie; Lemons, Limes, Oranges, Mandarins), there are some less-common, but still very much enjoyed Citrus fruits available to diversify …
It is no secret that I like a good healthy and biologically-diverse water-body or 5 in any garden⊠ohhh so many benefits you’d be mental not to have one! My most voluminous one is an IBC tank (International Bulk Container) that i’ve converted into an above ground native fish breeding tub. Having an above-ground water …
Symptomatic String Algae – Addressing the verdant irritation. Read More »
I’ve always had a healthy respect for bees… in the last few years my respect has broadened and grown to encompass many more bee species as i’ve discovered their seemingly less obvious existence (at least to modern white Australia). The sheer diversity that Australia holds in native bees is of huge wonderment to me and I rarely get …
For the love of Aussie Bees – Got’s the BEE FEVER. Read More »
Often, when I talk to people about wasps, I find they look upon them very unfavourably as a menace to family health and often for this reason… something to be destroyed on sight. Most often the wasps that come to these people’s minds first are in the Paper Wasp family which, as their name suggests, …
Australian Paper Wasps in the Garden â another case of Knowledge is Power! Read More »
Now, there are very few people from experience that don’t like eating Passionfruits in some form or another. Common, easy to grow and sweet, these relatively thirsty climbers have been grown by households in Australia for a long time. When you go to acquire an edible Passionfruit plant in Australia you have a few main …
