The proliferation of products in a typical bathroom can be truly astounding. Plastic bottles filled with a wide range of different cleansers, cleaners, exfoliants, toners, moisturisers, shampoos, conditioners and more can quickly pile up. But for those who are trying to live a more sustainable way of life, natural DIY cleaning and beauty products canContinue reading “Making Natural Cleaning and Beauty Products”
Author Archives: Elizabeth Waddington
The Forest Garden in August
This is a time of abundance in the forest garden. Yesterday, we began to harvest some apples. Different apple varieties will continue to ripen in succession over the next month or two. And the plums are ripening up. They are not ready yet, but will be at some point next month. It is interested toContinue reading “The Forest Garden in August”
Case Study: Kenya Restaurant Roof Area
This case study is an example of a system created for a restauranteur. As usual, I won’t provide all the information given to the client, but the above illustrates the general scheme for the design. In this instance, I was approached by a restaurant owner in Mombasa Kenya who was interested in turning a disusedContinue reading “Case Study: Kenya Restaurant Roof Area”
Sustainable Restaurant Ideas
As well as working with individuals to help them improve their gardens or live a more sustainable way of life, I also help small businesses navigate a way forward. Obviously, these have been, and continue to be, difficult times for restauranteurs and other food business owners. Thinking outside the box and finding new ways toContinue reading “Sustainable Restaurant Ideas”
A Plum Job – Getting Ready to Process Plums
In our forest garden, we have a mature plum tree laden with plums. While there are still a couple of weeks or so before they are ripe, I thought I’d take a little time to share how I make the most of our plum tree’s fruits. First of all, if you have a plum treeContinue reading “A Plum Job – Getting Ready to Process Plums”
Washing Clothes Sustainably
Yesterday I spoke about drying clothes – but what about washing them? Do we really need to use harmful chemicals to get our clothes clean? The answer is an emphatic no! We can adopt a natural and sustainable laundry routine. One of the ways that you can be more sustainable in your home is toContinue reading “Washing Clothes Sustainably”
How Do You Dry Your Clothes?
I do actually have a washing machine that is also a dryer, but I very rarely use it to dry my clothes. We have 100% renewable energy here, so the occasional emergency load is not too much of an issue. But if you are still reliant on fossil fuels for energy needs, drying clothes canContinue reading “How Do You Dry Your Clothes?”
Preparing For Winter Growing
We’ve already previously discussed the idea that growing your own is something you can do year-round. No matter where you live, with the right strategies, you can grow at least a little food all year round. So to help you prepare for winter growing, here are a few tips: Keep Sowing It is not tooContinue reading “Preparing For Winter Growing”
Utility and Beauty in a Permaculture Home
“If you want a golden rule that will fit everything, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” William Morris. In my mind, everything in your home should be useful or beautiful – ideally both. In permaculture, we think carefully about every elementContinue reading “Utility and Beauty in a Permaculture Home”
Case Study: Fruit Tree Circles For Small Space Temperate Gardens
The image above was a simple illustration that I drew to explain the concept to a client. This fruit tree ring is a variation on the idea of a banana circle, and is a concept used most frequently to incorporate fruit trees in areas with an arid climate. It is an idea, however, that isContinue reading “Case Study: Fruit Tree Circles For Small Space Temperate Gardens”