tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027191706980748713.post6884499998210882672..comments2023-09-29T18:37:14.377+10:00Comments on Eight Acres: Perennial plants and trees - a food forestUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027191706980748713.post-56154229665774978062013-03-11T20:12:54.837+10:002013-03-11T20:12:54.837+10:00Hi Ian, I agree, water and earthworks are one of t...Hi Ian, I agree, water and earthworks are one of the most expensive but important aspects of developing a property, and until they are perfected, the landscape will remain vulnerable. Although, I'm reading Gaia's Garden at the moment, and that talks about storing water in the soil as well, so I suppose there are lower cost/ higher effort methods to think about too....Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12874273438983052621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027191706980748713.post-86627969228106685712013-03-11T20:09:22.431+10:002013-03-11T20:09:22.431+10:00oh I love Jackie French, but I haven't read th...oh I love Jackie French, but I haven't read that book (yet), will be great to read another Australian perspective. Thanks for the tip!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12874273438983052621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027191706980748713.post-34837119060475324282013-03-11T20:05:49.378+10:002013-03-11T20:05:49.378+10:00Hi AA, yes it is very exciting to be able to apply...Hi AA, yes it is very exciting to be able to apply Linda's (and others) garden ideas at our new place and maybe get some things right from the start :) I haven't started asparagus yet, I was waiting until we move, but it definitely a good one for the food forest. Cheers, LizAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12874273438983052621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027191706980748713.post-62721784697154818282013-02-24T11:45:42.758+10:002013-02-24T11:45:42.758+10:00I think water and the associated earth works is a ...I think water and the associated earth works is a big deal when it comes to catching energy. In fact my thinking of late has been that generally it is probably one of the most under estimated factors on peoples properties. When I reflect on what people talk about when discussing their garden, crop and pasture issues it is usually something like its too hot, too cold, too wet or too dry or the soil is no good. We don't have the power to change the weather, but where and how water is stored and moves across our land is a major factor in where micro climates will be. how stable the climate there is and how the surrounding soil will develop. I've been reading a bit about Sepp Holzer who tours the world restoring landscapes, one of the first things he does is put in lots of dams (ponds for US readers) http://www.thepreparationstation.com/2011/krameterhof-sepp-holzers-permaculture-paradise/ . <br /><br />This video also shows how the capturing of water can effect different parts of your property in different ways. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_X-BMbLBozA<br /><br />The problem is of course that extensive earthworks are a big investment, its so tempting to just start plonking down Permaculture systems on top of the land because they are smaller, easier to start and cheaper. I know I have been doing this. You cold even say that many Permaculture systems are incomplete, the cycles involved are interrupted or potentially disrupted by variable weather conditions to a much greater degree than they should be. I'm pretty sure a complete Permaculture system should not be that fragile. Something I have a lot more to learn about :P <br />Ianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00237535505835764126noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027191706980748713.post-63647151396450549252013-02-23T04:34:04.912+10:002013-02-23T04:34:04.912+10:00Lets not forget Jackie French's amazing book T...Lets not forget Jackie French's amazing book The Wilderness Garden for our own local conditions. Too many permaculture books aim to give us a Northern experience when that is totally out of the running in our Aussie conditions. Jackie offers an amazing philosophy about living with nature and tithing some of our food forests to allowing the insects, birds etc. to predate them and in the process attracting our own pest management strategy. I love her book and will be using it as we start to plant out our food forest this autumn (when the soil isn't like porcelain and the poor plants get a good run into next summer and some root growth while we still have springs rain). narf7noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027191706980748713.post-48769599092880381712013-02-22T07:41:00.737+10:002013-02-22T07:41:00.737+10:00Interesting - I have been reading "The permac...Interesting - I have been reading "The permaculture home garden" by Linda Woodrow who I know you also follow on her blog. At Cheslyn Ridge you should be able to follow her mandala type garden design. How wonderful to have that information ready at hand while you are planning. So many of us learn by experimenting and are continually pulling out and changing things. I had heard that sweet potatoes should not always be grown in the same place, so I move mine around from year to year. Do you grow asparagus - it should do well in your area.africanaussiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16660727599623626163noreply@blogger.com