Some of the bags of clothes waiting to head up to the charity stores in Maleny.

Living like a backpacker

Back in the early 1990s, Evan and I were travelling around the world a lot with our backpacks and lived amply on a handful of simple clothes. However, since we’ve had kids and settled a bit more, things have accumulated. As much as I promised myself this would never happen, it did. It was definitely time for a big clear out. I’m pretty sure what I’ve kept would be able to fit into a backpack again.

I love wearing sarongs here in the subtropics – they are lightweight and easy to store and care for.

Special souvenirs of musty space-fillers?

Not only were my own clothes filling up the wardrobe space, but clothes I had kept from when our children were little – things I thought were special souvenirs of their baby days. What they had become really were musty, stained and old (storing things in humid subtropics is difficult). I have kept just a few really special items and packed them very well.

Getting up my nose

All these surplus clothes were collecting dust which I was really starting to find was getting up my nose – literally.  Today, everything got washed with soapnuts and eucalytus, and the entire wardrobe and room was wiped down with diluted vinegar. It feels so fresh again.

How did I sort through it all?

Basically I just made one big pile on the floor  in the middle of my bedroom and methodically went through each piece.  It took me half a day to sort, wash and clean out all the dust from the back of the wardrobe  – a big commitment of time, but one that is going to save me lots of washing, sorting, putting away etc. later.  

As I went through the clothes I placed them in nine different piles and bags: 

• Keepers –  I went through this pile a couple of times to refine my choice to pick natural fibres, ethical items and ones that are biodegradable.
• Storage box – a selection of a few things for different seasons and some favourite skirts which will be good when I lose a few kilos (!?)
• Gift bag – almost new children’s clothes that are suitable for friends with young children.
• Hand-me-down pile – some retro pieces of my clothing that now fit my daughter
• Charity store bag – all the good quality clothes that were left
• Upcycling box – a few pieces I liked that had fabulous fabric, but no longer a good style are awaiting redesign (when I get a new sewing machine pedal – Monty was experimenting with scissors recently).
• Rag bag – too bad to fix but good for rags.
• Worm pile – too bad to fix and fully biodegradable.
• Rubbish – too bad to fix and not good for rags or worms. (thankfully this was the smallest pile)

My small selection of clothes for storage for another season.

This is all that is left in my wardrobe –  a couple of skirts, shirts, singlets and long sleeve tops – and my favourite jacket with all the pockets for collecting seeds while I’m out and about.

The post How I downshifted my wardrobe by 80 percent. appeared first on Our Permaculture Life.

image source: www.onegreenplanet.org

• Synthetic fibres shed and accumulate as toxicity in nature. 
• Natural fibres biodegrade and are recycled by nature. (Most of my old clothes end up as mulch, worm food and compost)

Those of you who have read my blog posts before know I focus on food and growing, but today I am moved to write from a different angle. Thanks to the many recent conversations I’ve had with people on this disastrous link between fast fashion, ecological systems disruption and toxicity in our food.

Please join me in thinking about this big issue and next time you are heading out to make a textile purchase. And please me spread the word by sharing this post with your friends and networks.

Think, buy, use, renew and make natural!

Might be time to get those alpacas …. image source: www.goodonyou.org.au

The post Did you know our clothes are poisoning us? More Reasons to Choose Simple Natural Fashion for Earth Care and People Care appeared first on Our Permaculture Life.

Watch this 5 minute film to see how to simply and cheaply make your own natural beeswax wraps – to wrap veggies and fruit, leftover bowls, cheese, sandwiches, jar tops, bread loaves, lunchbox snacks and so much more.

Yes, it’s a small step, but many small steps, and a sense of commitment to want to make a difference, is more powerful than you may think.  When you take positive steps forward, there’s a ripple effect of positive change.

For the method shown in the film, all you need is to make your own beeswax wraps is:

• a piece of natural cotton cloth (choose the size you need for your particular use – I find 20cm x 20cm is a useful bowl-top size)
• natural beeswax (about 5-10 grams is all you need for 20cm x 20cm cloth)
• 1/4 teaspoon coconut oil
• flat sandwich hotplate

5 easy steps  to make beeswax cloths:

To wash – simply wipe, rinse off or use warm soapy water – not hot.

The post Five Easy Steps to Make Cheap Beeswax Wraps & Reduce Cling Wrap Use. Film #10 with Morag Gamble (5 mins) appeared first on Our Permaculture Life.

Watch this 5 minute film to see how to simply and cheaply make your own natural beeswax wraps – to wrap veggies and fruit, leftover bowls, cheese, sandwiches, jar tops, bread loaves, lunchbox snacks and so much more.

Yes, it’s a small step, but many small steps, and a sense of commitment to want to make a difference, is more powerful than you may think.  When you take positive steps forward, there’s a ripple effect of positive change.

For the method shown in the film, all you need is to make your own beeswax wraps is:

• a piece of natural cotton cloth (choose the size you need for your particular use – I find 20cm x 20cm is a useful bowl-top size)
• natural beeswax (about 5-10 grams is all you need for 20cm x 20cm cloth)
• 1/4 teaspoon coconut oil
• flat sandwich hotplate

5 easy steps  to make beeswax cloths:

To wash – simply wipe, rinse off or use warm soapy water – not hot.

The post Five Easy Steps to Make Cheap Beeswax Wraps & Reduce Cling Wrap Use. Film #10 with Morag Gamble (5 mins) appeared first on Our Permaculture Life.

It’s so easy to make self-watering pots from used milk bottles. They are free and make propagating seeds a breeze. 

Not only do they keep your little seedlings hydrated much longer, by cultivating your own seedlings, you can choose from a much wider selection of food varieties and contribute to the protection of seed diversity.

This is how to do it. (For more details, watch the film.)

All you need is a milk bottle, scissors, sand, compost/potting mix, seeds and water.

Cut in half the bottle and put in an overflow hole in the base to prevent plants from flooding.

Put a few centimetres of sand in the bottom of the base. Turn the top upside down and press into the base.

Fill with compost or good potting mix.

Make impressions in the soil for the seeds. Cover the seeds with soil.

Gently water the seeds in until the water comes out of the overflow.

Make sure to label the seeds.

Film #8: How to Make Self-Watering Pots by Morag Gamble

Learn with Morag in her garden:

If you enjoyed this film and like a hands-on approach to learning, I invite you to join me in my garden at the Permaculture Life Workshop over the next couple of months.

Click here for information and registration for October 29: The Simple and Abundant Garden

The post How To Make Your Own Self-Watering Pot: Film #8 appeared first on Our Permaculture Life.

By spending less, I can work less. With my spare time, I get to hang out with my family more in the garden, and even have the opportunity to homeschool them.

Spending less, amongst other things, means:

1. we use/have less stuff
2. we save energy
3. we create less waste 
4. we create less pollution
5. we save money for important things and the good stuff
6. we share and exchange things more
7. we are encouraged to repair, reuse and up-cycle things.  
8. we have less stuff to clean and put away 
9. we could work fewer hours and have more time to pursue ‘passion-projects’.
10. we get to spend more time with family, friends and community

The ‘pots and pans’ drum kit is just perfect, and far more robust than the plastic drum kits for little kids.

So here’s the 3 simple ways to save money….

1. Use CASH – studies have shown that you spend at least more than 20% more if you use plastic.
2. Go shopping with a LIST – and try to stick to it – have a standing list of basics.
3. Create a BUDGET for weekly spending – and try to stick to this too.

7 Questions to Ask:

Seems too simple, bit if you stick to it you will be amazed what a difference it makes. Also, you may like to try asking these questions before buying something:

1. Do I actually need this (or is it just a ‘want’)?
2. Is there a better way I could be spending this money?
3. Is there something growing locally, in my garden?
4. Could I make this? 
5. Do I have an old one I can mend? 
6. Could I get it second hand?
7. Can I share buying this with others, borrow it from a friend, (or join a tool library, for example)?

I go shopping for my basic weekly supplies at my local organic coop store and buy bulk foods in recyclable and reusable packaging. I love this store and often bump into friends.

Voluntary simplicity, also known sometimes as downshifting, cultivates a level of resilience and abundance thinking. It also helps us to keep in mind the really important things in life and spend more time doing the things we love.

Growing food at home or in community gardens is a great way to save on the food bill.

The post 3 Simple Ways to Save & 10 Good Reasons to Do This appeared first on Our Permaculture Life.

The wonderful Costa Georgiadis of ABC’s Gardening Australia led a huge group of people through the verge garden with his fabulous commentary of why verge gardens are the bees knees – it’s got me thinking about what more I can do along the street at my place. Always wonderful to see him and get a big beardy cuddle.

Costa espousing the benefits of having a salad garden on the verge.

Gardening extraordinaire, Barbara Wickes, president of the cottage garden group The Perennial Poppies, coordinates the extraordinary effort it takes to get the Giant Kitchen Garden displays ready for the expo each year.

After Costa’s ramble through this amazing demonstration garden, he sent the crowd across to the Kitchen Garden Stage where I talked about my favourite incredible edibles. I had a table full of cuttings from my garden that provide an abundance and resilience in subtropical gardens – a diversity of perennial and self-seeding plants and a selection of common but overlooked edible leaves.  (The video of this will be ready soon.)

Me launching into the Incredible Edibles talk.

The Giant Kitchen Garden is like a meeting of old friends – I caught up with Roman Spur of Spurtopia, the Yandina Community Gardens, Northey Street City Farm, Robin Clayfield, Brisbane Organic Growers and many more… Jerry Coleby Williams also led a great wander through the verge garden.

ABC Gardening Australia’s Jerry Coleby-Williams talking about verge gardens.

Here are some of the people I met along the way and some garden features on display…

I was delighted to hear the latest news from Roman Spur of Spurtopia – new baby girl and new house (bought from savings – no debt).

I caught up with Cath Manuel of Soil to Supper, then saw part of her no-dig garden presentation.

Beautiful kales.

The display garden demonstrated how you could set up a street side stall to share verge garden produce in the community.

These are great to help increase homes from microbats in urban gardens.

Showing the potential for a verge garden – from children’s play spaces, herb, vegetables, flowers, fruits, upcycled pots, interpretive signage, habitat logs …

An interesting pot of strawberries….

Looking down the main street of the verge garden displays.

The bug hotel in the centre of the verge garden roundabout.

The boot flower garden.

The stiletto palette garden!

The post Verge Gardens and Incredible Edibles: catching up with ABC’s Costa and friends. appeared first on Our Permaculture Life.

I had been using the paper roll method for years (and a similar version made of wood), but last weekend I came across another method – the origami pot. I like it too because it creates slightly larger pots that are great for cuttings.

I often run permaculture workshops for children. In one of these I show them how to make the pots, how to collect, plant and care for seeds, and how to take cuttings from herbs and perennial plants – great food-growing skills for us all to have.

These little origami pots were in the kids corner at the Small Farmers tent at the Maleny Show last weekend where I spoke about permaculture design thinking. After packing up, I couldn’t resist stopping and making a few to take home for my kids.

The origami pots I brought home from the Maleny show with lettuce and parsley seedlings.

Here’s how to make both the roll and the origami pot…

METHOD 1: THE PAPER ROLL POT

Chop newspaper sheets in thirds. Place the toilet roll insert or paper towel insert at one end. Make sure the roll hangs over the edge enough to grab hold of it.

Roll the paper up and poke the end into the bottom of the pot firmly – this makes it secure and stable.

Remove the insert and it’s ready to fill with compost and seeds.

METHOD TWO: THE ORIGAMI SEED POT

Use a full page of newspaper.

Fold the bottom half up.

Halve again – folding left side to the right.

Open up the previous fold and take back just one corner to make a little triangle pocket.

Turn the whole thing over and do this on the other side.

Like turning a page, fold over the ‘wing’ to see this shape (do both sides).

Take the left corner and fold into the centre line.

Fold this again into the centre line.

Repeat this double fold for the other side.

Turn it over and repeat the double folds for left and right ‘wings’.

All folded up – smooth the lines.

Fold back the top.

Other side too.

Open out the base and there is your pot.

You can keep the flaps out or fold them in. Fill with potting mix or compost then use as a seed pot or for herb cuttings.

Make a bunch of these origami pots, line them up, fill them with soil and seeds. Grouping them gives them stability.

Keep them on your windowsill or verandah until sprouted and be put in the garden or in larger pots.

It’s a good idea to put them on a tray to avoid seepage on your bench.

They can be kept folded and flat, so it’s a nice idea to have some ready for when a spontaneous planting moment arises and you need some little pots ready to go.

Enjoy!

What other origami or paper pots have you found simple and easy to make?

The post Two Simple Newspaper Seed and Cutting Pots: Make them With Kids appeared first on Our Permaculture Life.

Some of the keen gardeners from last weekend’s gardening session at Annerley Library.

For those few hours, with the room full of my plants, the library smells amazing. That is the first thing everyone says when they come into the space. In the morning before the gardening sessions, just as the sun is rising, I go out into my dew-laden garden and gather armfuls of plants flourishing that week – herbs, perennial edibles, edible flowers, and bunches of unusual greens.

On many weekends you will find me at one of the 33 libraries run by Council with my buckets overflowing with the selection of incredible edible perennials and an abundance of seeds. I also take a sampling of interesting fruits, a collection of wriggly worms, bokashi sprinkles, a tub of compost, and a selection of reclaimed materials to use as pots.

I explore a range of themes around sustainable food gardening and permaculture in the city and through this aim to build ecoliteracy – understanding how nature works, so we can work with nature.

I must have shared out over 10,000 edible plant cuttings and many thousands of seeds too.  I suggest to participants that once the plants are established, they spread them further and gift the plant abundance again. People always leave my library gardening sessions with at least a few new plants, and I hope a lot of ideas of ways to simply create an edible garden at home or get involved in a local community garden.

It is wonderful now that few libraries in the large Brisbane City Council region are setting up their own community gardens outside. These are becoming important meeting, learning and play spaces – adding to the growing number of community gardens in Brisbane.

The Council lists 37 community gardens on their website, but I know there are very many more not included here, as well numerous school gardens. Community Gardens are great places for growing food and for growing community locally. Many years ago, I helped to set up the Australian City Farms and Community Gardens Network – for those interested, there is a wealth of information the website. http://communitygarden.org.au

Last weekend – being in school holidays – I led a special children’s gardening session at Annerley. In the midst of the garden, the kids, their parents and I made mini-wicking gardens, seed balls and origami seed packets. 

There were lots of busy young hands sticking, gluing, propagating, potting up, mixing clay and compost, rolling seedballs, folding origami seed packets.

There were so many happy faces getting their hands in the earth. The seedball making was a particularly popular activity. The kids are so excited to go home and cast them out, or place them in a pot. Perhaps there may be a few guerrilla urban gardeners in the making….?

The post Library gardening: Community Permaculture Education appeared first on Our Permaculture Life.

Today was the grand opening of The Owl’s Den Cafe in our carport – a monthly pop-up cafe run by our 9yo daughter as a homeschool project.

She’ll need to bake more of these orange-poppy seed cakes next time!

Creating opportunities for community connection, building relationships with neighbours, creating a fun space for local kids, sharing healthy food, supporting endangered animals, raising money for a local children’s tree planting project, raising money for her own use, and learning many valuable skills were the reasons my 9 year old daughter has spend the past few weeks organising this pop-up carport cafe as one of her homeschooling projects. I am so proud of her – she was just amazing.

A relaxed environment for community conversations and play.

She thought of spaces and activities for little kids, big kids and adults.

Flowers from the garden in up-cycled decorated jars, collections of sewing project fabrics as table cloths and wall hangings.

Getting the driveway chess set up.

This was a homeschool project for Maia. This cafe gave her an opportunity to explore so many topics in an integrated way – doing something that she loves.

Helpful Hugh was delighted to assist – by being chief biscuit maker, provider of finance for the float, cake taste-tester (!?!),  selector of toys for little people, and carrier of boxes to the carport.

The menu:

• Fair trade organic espresso coffee
• Fair trade organic tea
• Lemon myrtle and chocolate mint tea (from the garden)
• Locally made lemon and lime iced cordial (thanks Lizzie!)

Fresh lemon myrtle leaves for the garden tea.

• Orange poppy seed cake – sugar free (except for the icing) – organic flour, organic coconut oil, local eggs, local honey, local orange, organic ground sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, local lime icing
• Chocolate mini muffins – sugar free (except for the icing) – organic flour, organic coconut oil, organic ground sunflower seeds, coconut, local eggs, local honey, cacao, local lime icing
• Bliss balls – dates, organic sunflower seeds, organic tahini, organic coconut, cacao, local honey, cinnamon
• Sunflower shortbread biscuits – organic flour, organic ground sunflower seeds, coconut, organic sugar, butter, honey, cinnamon, ginger

The source of power for the coffee machine and kettle (and the cooking) was solar power. She even sent up a little solar fountain.

The solar-powered mini-fountain was a lovely cooling off point for the kids.

Monty spent most of the time cooling off with his head in the little fountain

Community Conversations

It was just so absolutely lovely sitting in our garden on a barmy afternoon, cooling off a little with the easterly sea breezes  – chatting with old and new members of the community, watching the kids play, admiring Maia’s capability and determination. She created a beautiful and peaceful space for people to just relax and connect.

The environmental projects supported by the Owl’s Den Cafe:

Fundraising for the local tree-planting and supporting a critically endangered species. Maia had prepared information sheets for these too which she emailed to everyone, and had just a few copies on hand today. The preserves were donated to us to help raise funds.

Children’s Tree Plant: 

Maia has been involved in planning a children’s tree-planting to create a shaded walkway between the Crystal Waters village green park and the Mary River swimming hole. The planting happens in just over a week. The trees have been donated, the mulch is being collected locally too, but we need to buy the tree guards and stakes to protect the plants from deer and kangaroo.

At Maia’s cafe today she invited people to sponsor a tree. She had lots of great response and will continue to fundraise for the trees over the next week.

Critically Endangered Species: 

I cannot remember a time when Maia was not passionate about protecting wildlife, particularly critically endangered and vulnerable species. As a 4yo, she taught herself how to research online to find out more information. Today she chose to raise money to adopt a Lynx through WWF – she chose the Lynx because it is one of the most critically endangered species on the planet.

She has already repaid me for buying ingredients, paid back Hugh for the float, gone online to adopt the lynx and has put aside the remaining money to be able to seed her next cafe. Her budgeting was spot-on.

Being a good leader and communicator, building community, caring for the environment, starting a social enterprise and learning about ethical entrepreneurship are such valuable skills for young people have – for them to be resilient and adaptive in a changing environment. With these skills, I hope that wherever my children find themselves – that they will be able to cultivate a sustainable livelihood, through sharing and connecting, creating and giving.

The post Pop-up Carport Cafe – cultivating community conversation & conservation through youth social enterprise appeared first on Our Permaculture Life.