Using Unripe Windfall Apples From the Garden

Fruit trees are self-regulating. The ‘June drop’ is a tree’s natural way of ridding itself of excess fruits it cannot support. Where I live, here in Scotland, the ‘June drop’ actually usually occurs some time in July. Some new gardeners are alarmed to see unripe fruits. littering the ground below their trees. But not onlyContinue reading “Using Unripe Windfall Apples From the Garden”

July in the Forest Garden

July in the forest garden is an abundant time. Soft fruits are the stars of the show. We have plenty of red currants, blackcurrants, raspberries, as well as the last of the strawberries and gooseberries. Harvesting and preserving are the order of the day. Even in a low maintenance garden like a forest garden, thereContinue reading “July in the Forest Garden”

Case Study: Community Resilience

For today’s case study, we’re returning to the New York permaculture design that we have already explored in previous weeks. But I wanted to zone in now on the community barn and surrounding lot. This area allows us to explore what a community needs for resilience. The multi-function space that the community barn will provideContinue reading “Case Study: Community Resilience”

How Could You Contribute to a Green Recovery?

As we all seek to move forward and build back better, we all need to ask ourselves how we can contribute to a green recovery. A green recovery is a recovery that enables us to all move forward together – and to take care of our planet – as we move towards a truly sustainableContinue reading “How Could You Contribute to a Green Recovery?”

Plastic Free Bedroom

I’ve previously written about how to reduce plastic waste and go plastic free in the kitchen, and in the bathroom. Next, let’s take a quick look at how to avoid plastic and reduce waste in another room of your home: the bedroom. In permaculture, we often talk about small, slow solutions. And that is justContinue reading “Plastic Free Bedroom”

Troubleshooting a Compost System

If you have set up a composting system for the first time this year, you might be finding that things are not going according to plan. Don’t worry. No matter what problems you face, or mistakes you make, it is usually fairly easy to get back on track. Here are a few common issues andContinue reading “Troubleshooting a Compost System”

Tips to Help You Reduce Food Waste

When people start looking into how to live a zero waste lifestyle – reducing plastic waste is often the first thing they think about. But you might overlook another type of waste that can pose a huge problem for people and the planet: food waste. Food waste, if it were a country, would be theContinue reading “Tips to Help You Reduce Food Waste”

Organic Pest Control Tips

One of the things that is often forgotten, even by organic gardeners, is that we need some pests to attract the things that eat them. It is very important not to be too zealous in your attempts to rid yourself of pests – no matter how annoying they may be. Often, people imagine that organicContinue reading “Organic Pest Control Tips”

Which Growing System Might be Right for You?

Over the last few days, I’ve touched upon the idea of aquaponics. And as you will be aware if you’re read my other posts, forest gardening is another idea I am passionate about. When it comes to a successful garden, one of the most important things to remember is that what works well for othersContinue reading “Which Growing System Might be Right for You?”

Case Study: Large Aquaponics Greenhouse

In the plans shown, you can see that a path leads visitors from a welcome area with information boards, on a pathway between the trees, that leads to a central area with a coconut palm, bananas and bench seating.  If visitors turn right, they can enter the cafe area, where they can eat and drinkContinue reading “Case Study: Large Aquaponics Greenhouse”