  I have had a lot of questions about the things we do month by month to help not only maintain but add to our system. While the best time to have ‘planted a tree’ was 20 years ago, the next best time to start is now. Each little thing we do can and will help increase our ability to build resilient, regenerative and abundant lives. Let’s Make It Real - Here is our August garden to-do list. We hope it helps To-Do-List •Apply compost to your gardens •Make compost •Collect fallen leaves form mulch •Prune plants, but if flowering wait until finished •Apply protection for frost sensitive plants •Plant out new flower seedlings and give a deep water •Remember to back of from the watering over the cooler months •Lightly dig over and manure empty garden beds •Foliar feed the orchard and potager •Prune citrus if needed •Side dress vegetables with compost •Feed passionfruit vine •Sow seeds •Check over orchard for pests and possible disease Seed Planting Artichokes, Asparagus, Beetroot, Cabbage, Capsicum, Carrot, Chilli, Eggplant Kohlrabi, Leeks, Mint , Mustard greens, Onion, Peas, Potatoes, Radish, Rocket Shallots, Thyme, Tomatoes 
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 Flowers are not something that is typically considered when we think of a permaculture system. Generally, it is all about food, soil and water, which is absolutely an essential foundation of what we consider. One thing that I found that lacked in my system for many years was a level of aesthetics that appealed to me, inviting me to come to participate and be apart of the space. Flowers for aesthetics alone is not particularly beneficial for a permanent or persistent system. Still, when we start marrying up the different functions of plants, the beneficial insects, nutrient accumulating properties, soil interactions AND aesthetics, then we can really start turning our space into a place. I have been asked many times what we plant here and when, and while I have started to touch on the subject when writing about Organic Health Management, this can help add another layer to our gardens. This is by no means a complete list, nor is it focusing on perennials. Still, it does highlight self-seeding annuals that can persist in our gardens year after year. You do not have to plant everything. Some on this list may not work for you depending where you are. We hope you find this list of what we seed month by month helpful and how these can be a beneficial part of our systems, subject to your own context. We have attached a download file at the bottom. Enjoy :)              
 One of the best definitions I have encountered with regards to permaculture is that is a design process to meet human needs in a way that enhances ecosystem health, as best we can, in the circumstances which also creates a surplus for reinvestment into the system.
It is purpose-driven, goal orientated. When looking at definitions, it can come down to the difference between 'permaculture' and 'permaculture design'. When we look around at nature, we see permacultures surrounding us. Things that are in a beautiful symbiotic relationship, the mutualism of living things showing the dynamic equalibrium, supporting each other where the system as a whole grows in wealth. We, as designers, work with the information that we can gather around us. With other peoples designs, we can look at what other people have done in different places and look at how it relates to where we are. The design process is about helping us to do things in a permaculture fashion - better and faster. It is interesting to see the difference between peoples various definitions of permaculture because there is always this thing of context and the importance of observing where we are. Because unless we know where we are, we do not see what we can do. This is one of the critical things to learn. Most people understand there is an observation phase, but we need to understand the context. Many permaculture books and blogs are full of different tools and techniques, and this is awesome. Many people are doing amazing things with some of these tools - vast abundance in areas that defy most peoples ideas of what is possible (for example, Sepp Holtz) The danger is that if you do not consider these more significant issues or are new to permaculture. You see various tools - Hugelculture, compost toilets, swales, solar panels, etc. and you take these things and put them in your garden, and that makes it permaculture. Permaculture is about solving problems. While putting in a hugel bed or compost toilet may sound cool, we need to ask what problem is this solving. Is it related to temperature, water, soils etc. and how is this particular tool solving the problem. While that specific tool might work for them, will it work within my own context? Is it the right tool for the job. The learning of permaculture is not just learning the tools, but also the best way to apply them in space and place to produce a surplus. What is a tool within permaculture? Well, anything can be, subject to context.. all tools in the toolbox.. but when you consider it is a design process that is a problem-solving approach that works at the strategic level, thus choosing the right tool for the right job, seeing someone just apply a tool because "well it is permaculture" asking what problem it is solving becomes even more critical.   I have had a lot of questions about the things we do month by month to help not only maintain but add to our system. While the best time to have ‘planted a tree’ was 20 years ago, the next best time to start is now. Each little thing we do can and will help increase our ability to build resilient, regenerative and abundant lives. Let’s Make It Real - here is our March garden to-do list. We hope it helps To Do List •Apply compost to your gardens •Make compost •Collect fallen leaves form mulch •Planting of deciduous trees and shrubs •Prune deciduous plants, but if flowering wait until finished •Apply protection for frost sensitive plants •Cut back and prune perennials not already done •Remember to back of from the watering over the cooler months •Lightly dig over and manure empty garden beds •Foliar feed the orchard and potager •Side dress vegetables with compost •Mulch fruit trees •Remove ripe citrus from the trees, clip with some stem •Feed passionfruit vine •Sow seeds •Check over orchard for pests and possible disease Seed Planting Broad Beans, beetroot, Cabbage , Carrot , Garlic, Kale, Leeks , Mustard greens, Onion, Peas, Radish, Rocket, Shallots, Snow Peas, Strawberries
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