 Priority or option. This was something I came across this week while researching to update the tree session of our PDC (Permaculture Design Course) recently. I have heard repeatedly that people have to wait for things to be 'right' before they begin. While I understand what they mean as there is a massive benefit in thoughtful observation applied to design, we have to be careful not to drop into paralysis through analysis and not make a decision at all, waiting for that 'perfect moment'. It is in that indecision that the danger awaits. The waiting creates a void in which chaos enters, and we achieve nothing. So rather than looking for perfection, I rather like to look at it through the lens of "good enough for now, safe enough to try". It acknowledges that we need to move through the different stages of the design process but also acknowledges that we also do not or cannot know it all. So focusing on what is a priority and then working outwards gives us something tangible to strive towards - Whether ecological, social or personal Our motto is about Making it Real. Making it real is not going to be easy, but like all things of value, it will be worth it. So, we ask you. How are you going to make it real? READ MORE HERE
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 When it comes to water, there are no standard rules. Instead, it is an understanding that depends on the type of plant, the soil, the weather, the time of year and many other variables. Fortunately, there are some averages we can use to start to figure out what to do. In a previous blog - Water in the Garden, we explored what would be needed to have an abundant patch, but honestly, there is so much more to the discussion and design.  While the garden is essential to what we do, if you are looking at having animals in your system as well, water is an important consideration. We can all get caught up in how cute that baby goat is or how we want lots and lots of ducks, but the reality is that if we do not have the water to look after and maintain, then we have created stress in our lives and our system. To help in our water budgeting, it helps to know the averages. While not perfect, it gives us a baseline to start working from. While our trees and gardens, on average, require 5L per tree or 5L per square metre in the peak of summer, animals require their water allocations every day.  Ducks - 1L per Duck per day Chickens - 0.5L per Chicken per day Pigs - 6L per day Cow - 80-140L per day subject to feed Goat - 9L per day Sheep - 10L per day Horse - 30-50L per day Dogs - 50ml of water per kilo of body weight per day Donkey - 24L per day  From these average figures and some simple maths, we can then look further into what our water needs might be to help create a resilient, regenerative and abundant system.
 Spring, in climatology, is the season of the year between winter and summer, during which temperatures gradually rise. While we can have something growing all year round in our region, there is a level of excitement in the air as things start to come back into activity after the slow growth of winter: new flowers and new growth, new life leading to new beginnings. The planning and sowing of new season fruits and revisiting personal and professional context to make sure that the year ahead is still taking us towards where we want to be, building not just the site but the life we want. This is important as we can lose ourselves in the day to day and forget how important it is to dream of that future.. To dream gives us hope, allowing us the space to dream and approach life with a generous mindset rather than one of scarcity. Our motto is about Making it Real. Making it real is not going to be easy, but like all things of value, it will be worth it. So, we ask you. How are you going to make it real? READ MORE HERE  One important thing to both Victoria and myself is the carbon footprint and the impact on our planet. Unfortunately, we do not have a planet B, so we must start thinking of future generations. Many first nations people worldwide make decisions based on the next seven generations ahead, understanding that we are only borrowing this space from future generations. This led to a conversation Victoria, and I had about what we can do to help alleviate what we are doing with our fossil fuel consumption. It was an interesting conversation as we wanted to do more. Our consults take us to all sorts of places. While we have a very positive impact not just on landscapes but also on people's lives, there is still that underlying truth. That fuels have been used while we were in service to our client and their landscapes. The question remained, "what can we do?" The short answer was simple - let us plant more trees. HUZZAH The next part was not so simple. How many???? I will freely admit that one of the sessions I had at Tafe may have not been used to its more significant advantage as I dived into the subject. First off was looking at the types of cars we drove. It is incredible how much information is available now about our vehicles and their carbon footprint per km. For example, one vehicle was 114g/km, and the other was 197g/km. At the time, we were both doing a lot of running around. Not just for our work but for other jobs and children activities, so we decided to look at the footprint as a whole rather than just focus on the permaculture work. Knowing the KM's over the year and the emissions of our vehicles made it a simple calculation to work out their carbon footprint from the travel. With that figure, the question again was, "how many trees to bring that back into balance?" That question turned into a vast research task. There are several different tree varieties, from exotic to native, and each has a different impact. While some species are excellent at drawing down carbon, they also have the potential to become very aggressive in an area and upset the delicate balance of our native environment. So the decision was made to just stick to native trees.  Again, now that it had been narrowed down to a point, there still was the difference between each species, then taking bioregions and local microclimates into account.
It really was challenging, but ultimately we had to work with averages. While not perfect, any other choice would have led down the path of 'paralysis through analysis.' Many research papers on the subject talked about the average drawdown for the typical hardwood tree. That number is 48 pounds per year or just under 22kg. Excellent, now we're getting somewhere. So knowing what our vehicles impact through usage per Km, the Km's driven and then how much the average hardwood tree would uptake gave me something to work with. With some quick mathematics and still trying to hide what I was doing while in class, we worked out how many trees we needed to plant per year to help offset our work and personal travel. So, after all of that, it turned out to be 10 trees a week. 520 trees a year. And that also gives us some extra to spare just in case I got my maths wrong. Now that figure for our footprint has changed.. It has dropped considerably, but I still plant 10 a week - I figured it was a good habit to have. So every week, while out and about in various regions and places, we source 10 trees locally in tub stock and then plant them in and around local nature reserves and untouched areas. Again while not perfect, it did give us something tangible we could do. Permaculture is a solution-based design process. And honestly, it is the doing that matters.  August comes from the Latin word Augustus, meaning "consecrated" or "venerable," which in turn is related to the Latin augur, meaning "consecrated by augury" or "auspicious." I cannot deny that even though there have been trials, it has always led to something greater - I am not usually a 'woo' kind of person, but when the universe speaks, again and again, you cannot help but sit up again and again and listen. I find it true from personal to working with our clients, seeing how their systems are thriving, and how our annual PDC is about to begin. We ran around doing last minute things with excited participants to ensure that it is all ready, from handouts, materials, textbooks, template updated and venues organised. It is by far not just the most significant but most exciting journey of the year. Also, with spring only a month away, it is time to prepare, sharpen the tools and prepare for the season's beauty. Our motto is about Making it Real. Making it real is not going to be easy, but like all things of value, it will be worth it. So, we ask you. How are you going to make it real? READ MORE HERE  One thing that I have found interesting with the recent dive into design now that I am in a rental is how similar in thought processes there is between large acreage and small rentals. The fact that mobile infrastructure comes into its own. But the question needs to be asked, what kind of things can we grow in pots. The answer is, well, an awful lot. It still comes down to the soil and the management required to maintain the system. As everything is in pots or other mobile infrastructure, we need to increase what we need to do or design systems into it that will allow us to grow still what we need in the space we have. We can grow herbs and spices, leafy vegetables, beans and peas, root and fruiting vegetables and even trees.  While it is all possible, we need to consider things when we are looking at plants in pot care. First is potting mixes - there is a wide variety of potting mixes available, and some even dig the soil out of the garden to use in pots, though this is not readily recommended. While if you own your place, you might have access to large quantities of compost that you make yourself, this is not always an option when you rent. So finding a good quality potting mix that you can amend with compost and when the need arises is very important. Next is choosing the right pot - When selecting a pot, we can look at the size and the colour. I always use terracotta as I have found that the plastic ones break down in our summer heat too quickly and can cause plant stress, not to mention the extra work when it needs to be repotted. The pots can be painted in different colours to help match the house or make a focal point subject to what you are trying to achieve. This is also an excellent activity for kids. Pots can be moved subject to the time of year - in the summer heat or moved into the light as the sun lowers in the sky in winter. With larger plants, size matters. Understanding how large the plant will grow gives you things to consider, not just the soil type, the nutrients and the water holding capacity. Smaller pots need to be watered more often than larger ones. Allowing the roots of the tree to express themselves will ultimately create a more health resilient tree. Lastly, we also need to consider the weight. If you are looking at moving it frequently or live in a unit with a balcony, you will need to consider the weight allowance. Otherwise, it can create a whole world of issues. Great use of vertical spaces is to also grow plants in hanging baskets. While typically used for ornamentals, they are also great for growing strawberries, tomatoes and even mint. Upcycles containers are also a great resource. Large tines or something similar is a cheap and easy option to quickly start. Drainage (oops) - Whatever type of pot you chose, always remember to make sure that there is enough hole to allow any excess water to escape; otherwise, we will have a plant drown, or its roots start to rot. Having something underneath to capture that extra water, though, which can store it and wick back into the pot will increase the water time and not create waste. From there, it is as simple as how to sow your seeds, whether sun-loving or shade varieties - using your own seed raising mix, plant your trees and think about the water requirements to the planning. We tend to think that if we do not own it, there is nothing we can do, but if we think outside the box, there is very little we cannot do  New Location, new course content, inspiring guest teachers, exciting new design templates and all lead by professional permaculture designer, consultant and teacher, Michael Wardle and his team at Savour Soil Permaculture.  We need to create a vision. We need to change the climate of our minds. We need to rebuild our inner landscapes. We need a positive, solution-focused way of thinking. We need to be inspired, and we have to act. We need to heal ourselves, our landscapes, our relationship with nature and our culture & communities. We need to learn how to reconnect with nature so we can mimic it in the design of our present and our future. Limited to 15 participants to maximise learning outcomes Cost: Early Bird: $800, Full Price: $1000 "This PDC wasn't the first course I have completed with Michael but definitely the most life-transforming. If there was ever the right time to finally tackle a PDC, it was 2020 in the middle of a global pandemic. Michael is a great teacher and has so much knowledge to share, but his real ability is in bringing people together to share their stories and their ideas, find solutions in problems, and to build capacity for making a difference in our own communities, even if it's as simple as showing our neighbours what a difference healthy soil can make. Michael was the qualified teacher leading the course, but it was the brilliant group of people I built connections with over 16 weeks who taught me just as much about permaculture in practice." - Dave, 2020 "I commend Michael Wardle on the creation of this brilliant resource, which integrates some of the best thinking in permaculture design with his many years of experience as a professional permaculture designer and educator. I hope that many people benefit from this accessible, step-by-step sequence which provides a robust scaffold for high quality permaculture design" Dan Palmer (VEG, Making permaculture stronger, Holistic decision making) (About the template we use for the designs in our course) Course Educators Not only do we benefit from Michaels extensive experience as an educator but the wealth of knowledge and passion from the entire Savour Soil design team. We are also privileged to welcome Permaculture Elder and inspirational educator Robin Clayfield for a day of social permaculture. Tim Barker is a consummate gentleman actually living and breathing what he teaches. He will enlighten us with his rocket stoves and so much more. Each week we learn a new aspect of permaculture and having these wonderful individuals join our course, bringing their very special insight is an absolute joy.
For those doing our PDC we are offering:  Make your final design stand out with a professional look using INKSCAPE. For just $50 we will teach you the basics, over 5 zoom sessions as an optional extra. Free for Members of the Ipswich Good Food Group. For those thinking about taking their design even further we have our professional toolbox available for purchase too.  NEW LOCATION for 2021
PROUDLY PARTNERING TO BRING YOU THIS YEARS PERMACULTURE DESIGN CERTIFICATE Great new central location, ample parking, awesome facilities. 21 Park Street, Ipswich, Qld 4305  The longest night. The Winter Solstice Since prehistory, the winter solstice has been seen as a significant time of year in many cultures. It has been marked by festivals and rituals. It marked the symbolic death and rebirth of the Sun. The seasonal significance of the winter solstice is in the reversal of the gradual lengthening of nights and shortening of days. This, for us, means it is time to plan for the spring ahead. Making sure we have the plants and seeds we need. While it is still cool, time to maintain the system and build new infrastructure to expand our plans. It also means time to plan for new journeys. It is now time for me to leave the Laidley site after 8 years of working and building a system that ultimately yielded over 3 ton of produce on a quarter of an acre. While some have expressed sadness about this, I will admit that it will not be easy to leave this place after so much time; it is also time for new beginnings. Having worked and designed more significant acreage, worked, and created a suburban block, it is now time to see and explore what can be done on a rental bringing the permaculture mindset to that space. This brings with it a new excitement. We will be documenting and showing the what, how and when for a rental space to add to the possibilities. 2021 is definitely a year of new beginnings What are your new adventures in "Making it Real"? Read More HERE  By Victoria Holder
As the popularity of gardening increased last year, growing our own food to become more resilient, so did the popularity of growing indoor plants. With so many more people working from home, the importance of plants and their effect on our mental health by simply being in our lives became very evident. Segments on gardening TV shows were dedicated to it, and magazines were writing about it. Customers were flocking to produce stores indoor plant sections and snapping up all the potting mix. In my own experience caring for plants within city office buildings, I saw firsthand how they can completely change a space, the feel, the look and the productivity. In permaculture, we ask should we do something, not how, and I often struggled with this when trying to keep plants alive. So, what yields were we achieving? Did the value that plant brought to a space warrant putting it there? I have no scientific backup for this, but I often witnessed the plants in the most stressful, high-pressure offices repeatedly wither and die. Could these plants be absorbing all that tension and creating a better environment by simply being there? Obviously, my job was to keep these plants alive. Still, instead of thinking I had failed, I liked to believe that plant had fulfilled its purpose and that lovely man with such a stressful job was able to breathe a little easier and go home slightly happier simply because that plant was in his office. My boss at the time referred to my KPI's as the killing plant index. Still, he also understood a plant can only survive so much. Therefore, it would stealthily replace sad plants so that the customers could be happy. My permaculture brain relishes design, and indoor plants deserve the same attention as our productive outdoor plants do. Their yields may be different, but by marrying the plant's needs with our needs and what the site is capable of, we can all thrive. Starting with a plant analysis: Where does the plant initially come from? How big will it grow, and how quickly? Does it like to climb and need support? What size leaves does it have, flowers? How much light, water, and nutrient does it enjoy? Does it need humidity to flower like the anthurium? Does it propagate quickly? What pests is it prone to? Is it dangerous to children or dogs? Next, a site analysis: Mapping out the microclimates within your home that could potentially provide the ideal environment for plants. This would include light and shade and its strength at different times of the year, reflective surfaces, airflow, temperatures and the variations - consider times of air conditioning and heating. Consider access and your movement patterns through the site as a phase I recently heard comes to mind "what you see survives". If the plant is too high to reach or tucked in a corner you never walk past, will it survive? Also, plants can suffer if constantly being brushed up against in a walkway. Consider your focal points within the site and from different areas to create maximum impact. Understanding your own needs and limitations: Consider what time you have to commit to these plants, what skills you have to help care for them and what you need to learn. Do you like lush tropical plants like philodendrons, delicate strappy plants like peace lilies, climbing pothos, tall feature trees like fiddler figs, low maintenance happy plants or Zanzibar gems that can survive on the mere suggestion of water. Designing with maintenance in mind: Leave plants in plastic pots and simply slot them in and out of decorative pots; you will be grateful for this when the plant outgrows its pot and needs the next size up. Plus, you can change and move things around quickly, particularly as the angle of the sun changes throughout the year. Consider pots with water reservoirs if plants are ravenous or you are away a lot. Covering the soil with decorative rocks is like adding mulch in the garden. It keeps moisture in and keeps soil temperature constant. It can also help with soil born pests. Feeding your plants: In permaculture, we start with soil biology. Having a plant indoors in a pot means we have taken away its ability to draw from the earth what it needs. Responsibility shifts to the intervener! As a professional plant waterer, I would feed my plants every 4 weeks with either liquid blood and bone or a powdered soluble fertilizer. We would joke that I was the plant's dealer, keeping them in the supply of their coffee or another powdered white substance. But joking aside, these plants would not survive or thrive without giving them the nutrients they need. Plants under stress will also suffer from pests and disease as they would in the garden, so keeping them happy reduces the need for pest control. And some glossy, shiny leaves complete the look; there is no point in having healthy soil if the plant is covered in dust and spiders' webs. I hope this helps integrate plants into your indoor spaces and value the many yields they can bring.  While it's coming to an end, May seems to be the month for fertility. From the roots of the Greek myth, the modern-day workings here as the weather cools, bringing a new sense of vibrancy and colour. It is a time of new beginnings and a time to celebrate. With new beginnings comes a new understanding. My eldest recently asked me why people talk about life being unfair. We talked about how it is not the life that is unfair, but our expectations from it. How our biases come into play and how they can affect our perspective. By understanding our context, needs, and what we want to achieve, we can use this to help create a path to the quality of life we want and deserve. Having recently rewritten my context and quality of life statements, I now have a path for those same new beginnings. while it may not be easy, in the end, it will be well worth it So how are you going to make it real? Read more HERE. |
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