Sustainable Sisters

Chicken and Desert Flakes Burgers

2012-02-17T07:12:00.000+08:00

Taken from a great blog called Season with Saltbush
Ingredients

500g chicken mince
1 egg
1 garlic clove, crushed
Small or 1/2 brown onion, diced
1 cup breadcrumbs
1.5 tbsp Outback Pride Desert Flakes
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Preheat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.

2. Shape into patties and fry lightly over low-medium heat and then increase to medium-high heat once halfway through cooking.

3. Serve on turkish bread with green leaves and top with mayonnaise.

Fair & Square Festival

2012-02-04T20:20:00.000+08:00

Sustainable Birthday Gift

2012-01-30T07:27:00.000+08:00

Recently we were invited to a birthday party in King Park and decided that the best gifts we could give would be homegrown and Fair Trade. So we filled a basket with blackberries and tomatoes and another with Fair Trade tea and chocolate, delicious. Finally we popped in some incense which is hand made here in WA with part proceeds going to an animal charity. We were so pleased when the recipient was thrilled with their gift and eager to enjoy and share it ( the blackberries were finished within five minutes!).

Zucchini and Lemon Thyme Soup

2012-01-19T16:20:00.000+08:00

Have just made this delicious and easy soup for the first time today, the Lemon Thyme plant is a fantastic herb to have in the garden, we have ours in a pot in a very hot sunny position and it is thriving.

A great Blog - Greening of Gavin

2012-01-18T23:02:00.002+08:00

For anyone who wants to learn about living more sustainably and needs inspiration and great, practical tips the Greening of Gavin blog is one of the best that I have read. Have a look today, learn and enjoy!

The Buy Sustainably Challenge

2012-01-18T22:54:00.002+08:00

Beautiful Basil

2012-01-11T11:45:00.000+08:00

After trimming one very large Basil bush, drying the bowl full of leaves that resulted I now have a much better idea of just how much of a plant you need to make a decent quantity of dried herbs! I am also drying Sage, Rosemary and Oregano and hope to be able to make gifts in the future, but will need to increase my plant numbers first.

Warm pumpkin, lentil and desert flakes salad

2012-01-09T11:41:00.000+08:00

From Season with Saltbush
Ingredients

1/4 medium butternut pumpkin, seeded & cubed

2 tablespoons Outback Pride Desert Flakes

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 400g tin lentils, rinsed & drained well

100gm goat’s cheese or Persian Fetta

Mixed lettuce leaves

1 tablespoon pepitas

Method

1. Steam or microwave pumpkin until lightly cooked.

2. Heat oil over medium heat in a non-stick frypan. When hot, add pumpkin and Outback Pride Desert Flakes, tossing occasionally until browned on edges.

3. Place washed mixed leaves in a salad bowl and add pumpkin. Throw in the drained lentils and
goat’s cheese or fetta. Toss gently so that the cheese melts slightly and creates a dressing.

4. Scatter the pepitas (pumpkin seeds) over to
serve.

Serves 3-4.

Improving Compost

2012-01-06T10:19:00.000+08:00

We have been growing Yarrow and Comfrey to improve the soil and also to use as compost accelerators, so this morning I have chopped off a few leaves and added them to our two compost bins, it will be interesting to see if it really does make a difference. There is plenty of information ant Green harvest and a great permacultue garden which uses it too here.

I have several Herb books and in the Complete Book of Herbs it lists other uses for Comfrey including in salads, as a Spinach substitute, the stem can be an Asparagus substitute, and leaves can be used as a fertilizer for tomatoes and potatoes after being soaked for four weeks. Clearly we are not using this crop to its full potential!

Curry Leaves

2012-01-05T21:03:00.000+08:00

After watching the You Tube clip below on preserving curry leaves we have decided to try tis ourselves, here you can see the leaves that we washed and dried, and then the bowl that we popped them into the fridge in. Will see how we get on.

Bananas and Passionfruits

2012-01-04T20:55:00.000+08:00

Our passionfruit vine is now a dense and lovely screen for our pool area as well as producing lots of passion-fruits. Here you can also see that it has sheltered one of the small banana plants that we dug up from the main plant. Sadly the original plant looks very ragged and sad as it is exposed to too much wind, we will need to rethink the micro climate in that area!.

Water Chestnuts

2012-01-03T20:51:00.000+08:00

We have bought our first Water Chestnut plant and hope to be able learn how to grow these delicious plants, we will be studying up about them, and updating as we go.

Desert Flakes Roast Vegetables

2012-01-03T18:35:00.001+08:00

Found a great new blog that has recipes using Australian native foods in everyday cooking. I have put a link in my blog list and so hope that Danielle does not mind me posting one of her delicious recipes.

Ingredients

3 cups roasting vegetables, cut into even pieces (keep in mind cooking times when chopping veg to cook all together - for instance, cut carrots fairly long to accompany small-medium chopped potatoes).
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Outback Pride Desert Flakes
Salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius, with roasting pan inside.

Toss vegetables in the olive oil and Desert Flakes to combine. Add to the hot roasting pan and reduce oven to 180 degrees. Sprinkle pepper and salt over the top.
Roast for approximately 45 minutes.

Flowering Fennel

2012-01-02T20:42:00.001+08:00

Our lovely Fennel Flowers.

Exclusion Bags

2012-01-01T20:34:00.000+08:00

Our oldest grape vine, which we trimmed properly for the first time last year has many bunches of grapes on it. To try and save them from pests and parrots we have used exclusion bags from Green Harvest, fingers crossed!

Volunteer Tomatoes

2011-12-31T20:16:00.001+08:00

We have four volunteer tomato plants this season and they have so far produced over 8 kilos of tomatoes, with heaps more on the bush. we are really pleased and have made Pasta sauce, Tomato and Basil salad and eaten lots of fresh tomatoes. We are even lickier that each of the plants is a different type, we could not have planned it better!

Rhubarb Recipes

2011-12-30T19:24:00.001+08:00

We have lots of Rhubarb in the garden an so had Maggie Beer's Rhubarb Crumble for Christmas Dinner and now we are open freezing the rest for a special occasion in winter.

Preserving Lemons

2011-12-28T19:20:00.002+08:00

We recently watched a show on Moroccan cooking and decided that we should try and make some preserved lemons, so we have just begun by soaking the lemons.

Preserving Curry Leaves

2011-12-24T08:05:00.000+08:00

A Guide To Christmas Gift Buying

2011-12-22T23:00:00.000+08:00

Give the gift of water this Christmas

2011-12-21T20:47:00.000+08:00

A water tap may not seem like an obvious gift for friends or loved ones, but this water tap is very different. This tap helps prevent disease and increases attendance at school. That’s because this tap comes with a water system and will be given to a school in Cambodia.

Beautiful Blackberries

2011-12-19T20:37:00.002+08:00

More information on Blackberries here.

Urban Farm in San Francisco Gives Away Thousands of Pounds of Produce Free

2011-12-19T11:53:00.000+08:00

Organic Gardener Essential Guide- Herbs and Spices | Organic Gardener Magazine Australia

2011-12-19T08:31:00.002+08:00

Organic Gardener Essential Guide- Herbs and Spices | Organic Gardener Magazine Australia

We can highly recommend this book, and indeed anything by Peter Cundall!

Amazing Apples

2011-12-18T20:31:00.001+08:00

Our Apple Trees had struggled in their pots, then struggled again when we moved them. Then we realised that we were backwashing the pool water into the garden, and now we have stopped. And clearly they appreciate it as they are covered in flowers and tiny apples.

Ducks for Christmas

2011-12-16T21:09:00.000+08:00

Another great idea for Christmas, this duck will make a difference all year.

Thai Flood Appeal - Charity Food Fair

2011-12-15T22:12:00.001+08:00

At dinner tonight at the Dusit Thai Restaurant in Northbridge we heard about an event that is happening this Sunday to raise funds for the victims of the Thai Floods. The event is on Sunday the 18th of December at the Dhammaloka Buddhist Temple, 18 -20 Nanson Way, Nollamara between 9 -2 pm. There will be a raffle with first prize being a return air fare from Perth to Bangkok, and lots of delicious food. For more information contact K.Saowarak on 0428 969 811.

Fruit Salad

2011-12-15T21:21:00.000+08:00

I was delighted to be able to take home grown peaches, Blackberries and Strawberries with my yoghurt for lunch today - yum!

Pumpkin and Peaches

2011-12-14T21:17:00.000+08:00

The benefits of Permaculture Gardening are clear here with a volunteer pumpkin and the harvesting of 6 kilos of tomatoes. We just let these grow when they appeared and are enjoying the pleasures of pumpkin soup and tomato sauce as a result.

Christmas carrots

2011-12-10T21:07:00.000+08:00

Green thumbs love vegetables, and this card has some right on the cover. What’s more, when you buy this card you’ll help a South African community beat malnutrition by planting a plot of beetroots, spinach, carrots, onions and potatoes

Fruit Trees for Christmas

2011-12-10T08:47:00.000+08:00

This card doesn’t just get you one poverty-busting fruit tree, it gets you plenty – delivered to a village where they’re needed most. These fruit trees, such as guava, papaya and coconut, can be harvested to raise funds for the community. Let’s see soap on a rope do that.

Better World Books

2011-12-09T23:18:00.001+08:00

We like to buy books from Better World Books, try them today

Because you'eve been such a good Egg

2011-12-09T21:22:00.000+08:00

No one expects to get a chicken. And that’s what makes this such a great gift. The fact that it also provides families in Laos with an income and the ability to start breeding more chickens just makes it even better. It’s only a little but it will change a lot. Only $10 at Oxfam Unwrapped.

Canvas Bags by Tim Minchin

2011-11-18T21:58:00.002+08:00

Clean up your mess - Love Mother

2011-11-16T23:41:00.000+08:00

Meet Danny - Our Fostered Greyhound

2011-11-14T07:55:00.001+08:00

After careful investigation and discussion we decided this week that we would become a foster family for rescued greyhounds. On ringing Toni to register we were told that we had called at just the right time as they had a large, male greyhound, Danny, that needed a foster home. And so on Saturday night Danny was delivered to us along with some food, his bed, lead etc. We had a handover session with his previous foster family and have enjoyed settling in him and establishing some ground rules!

Danny is smart, clever and quiet, and we are all enjoying having him in our home while he learns how to live with a family so that he can be successfully adopted in the future.

Glass Bottle Walls

2011-11-02T21:39:00.000+08:00

We have watched a Grand Designs episode about the Ground House in Brittany and admired their beautiful bottle walls.

As well we have watched a film on Earth-ships and admired the use of recycled material. so we have started collecting bottles, our own and neighbors, have learnt how to cut them, here you can see a batch drying on newspaper on the clothes airer. Once dry they will be taped together and stored ready for our own beautiful glass bottle feature!

Gorgeous Grapes

2011-11-01T21:34:00.000+08:00

Last year we were the proud growers of two bunches of grapes, then we learnt the importance of trimming ( the vines not the grapes). This year we look set to have a bumper crop with at least 25 bunches growing on the vine, great news.

Empty Nesters

2011-10-31T21:34:00.000+08:00

How quickly the young ones fly the nest, only about ten days after our last photo, both chicks were out and about learning to fly in our garden. It was great fun to watch them develop from slightly uncoordinated fliers to aerial acrobats!

Birds Australia

Lavender and Honey Cake

2011-10-18T17:26:00.001+08:00

I was lucky enough to have this made for my birthday recently, using ingredients from the garden, our daughter baked a Lavender and Honey Cake, with a Lemongrass infused cream and Basil flowers sprinkled across the top- beautiful.

Silver Eyed Finch Chicks - Update

2011-10-17T17:18:00.003+08:00

The Grow Pledge

2011-10-16T17:17:00.000+08:00

Take the Grow Pledge Here

Make Good Things Grow

2011-10-16T16:51:00.000+08:00

Learn how we can all be part of a better future for everyone...

Grow a Better Way- Have Your Say!

2011-10-16T16:49:00.000+08:00

Take part in this poll and learn how important growing food really is!

Up on the Roof

2011-10-14T20:49:00.000+08:00

This is a different view of our front garden, from the roof, and you can see the Peach trees which we have put the pest deterrent bags on, the paper bags have not been successful as it is too windy, and they keep blowing off.

The Gunnedah 'Sustainable Sister" is here once again for a holiday and with her husband had the great idea of making some more mesh bags for the trees, they are made from a light flyscreen sown up with 'brickies' twine.

You can also see the layout of the no dig and vertical gardens, the bird baths and the amount of grass that we still need to get rid of!

Whirly Gigs

2011-10-13T21:01:00.000+08:00

We feel that the Whirly gig has helped with cooling the house in summer and so now have installed another one, that is the number recommended for a house of this size. We have placed on the roof facing South as that is where we get the most wind, and so they will be the most effective.

Solar Panels - Doubled

2011-10-13T20:46:00.000+08:00

We have finally been able to get another six solar panels on our roof, doubling the system that we have.
We have now increased our output to 1.7 Kilowatts and are really pleased to make this small contribution to being more sustainable.

This is the maximum number of panels that the inverter can manage, so we would need to set up a new system if we want to increase our solar panels again.

Beautiful Beetroot

2011-10-12T21:03:00.002+08:00

We finally harvested some of our Beetroot that we have grown from seed, 2 kilos worth!

The Beetroot were roasted and put in a salad with Goats Cheese, and Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar, delicious.The young leaves were added to the green salad, whilst the older ones were blanched and put into the freezer to be used later on.

You can see how rich and beautiful the Beetroot looks once cooked, it is extremely tasty too.

The Final Product

Chicks are Thriving

2011-10-11T20:58:00.000+08:00

We now have two Silver Eyed Finch chicks thriving in our pergola, the parent birds are incredibly nimble and active, and we are thrilled that they are all doing so well.

Slow Money Principles

2011-10-08T21:19:00.000+08:00

Silver Eyed Finch Nest

2011-10-06T20:47:00.001+08:00

We have a Ragged Fern under our pergola and a pair of Silver Eyed Finches have made a nest and laid two eggs. It seems that they generally lay around three eggs, there is more information on the Birds Australia website.
We will move our table and bbq away so that hopefully they will be able to breed in peace.

Double Your Donation!

2011-10-05T21:58:00.000+08:00

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd today made a pledge to match all donations to our East Africa Food Crisis Appeal up until the 30 November. Anything you can give during this time will help twice as many people and make double the difference!

Guides | Organic Gardener Magazine Australia

2011-10-04T20:49:00.000+08:00

Guides | Organic Gardener Magazine Australia

Splendid Sage

2011-10-04T20:04:00.002+08:00

Our potted herb garden on the front porch is going well, and whilst the Sage plant looked rather sad during winter time, it is bursting back to life now.

Deterring Fruit Fly

2011-10-04T20:01:00.000+08:00

I was also pleased to get an Exclusion Bag Sampler Pack from Green Harvest which we will use to deter Fruit Fly.

It includes: 1 Mesh Sleeve (small); 10 PestGuard Bags; 1 Cloth Fruit Bag; 50 Paper Exclusion Bags (Large), 25 Fruit Protection Bags, Fruit Fly Information Sheet.
I do hope that it means that our fruit is protected this year.

"Fuel For Free"

2011-10-03T19:45:00.004+08:00

After seeing an advertisement for a Dry Logmaker in the Renew Magazine I was very pleased when it arrived today. I purchased the one made from recycled plastic and have learnt how to make logs from newspapers.

Whilst I used newspaper today as we had been given a pile by a neighbour it is also possible to use cardboard rolls, egg boxes, shavings, leaves, twigs, plum, peach, olive stones, and remnants of wax candles ( and a whole lot more).

Whilst I would prefer to use teabags, coffee grounds etc in the compost bins and worm farms we do have a tree that has really hard dry leaves that I will experiment with too.

I have just noticed that it suggests mixing different materials when you make logs, so I will do that from now on!

Lounging Lizards

2011-10-01T21:46:00.001+08:00

We have allowed bushes to grow up in front of the lounge room window to shade the window and this afternoon noticed a Lizard resting on it.

The benefits of a Permaculture style of garden means that wildlife is encouraged by the diversity of plants', the wild areas' and the lack of chemicals.It gives us great pleasure to be so close to nature in an ordinary suburban block.

Gardening: Urban Farming

2011-09-25T22:30:00.000+08:00

How to Create a Beautiful Edible Landscape - Tim Robson On Gardening Au...

2011-09-25T22:17:00.000+08:00

Urban Permaculture

2011-09-25T21:41:00.000+08:00

Our Front Veggie Garden

2011-09-24T09:46:00.000+08:00

Front Garden May 2009- just beginning, planted a food hedge

After watching the video below about the difficulties of planting a vegetable garden in the front garden I realized how lucky we are not to have such a problem. It is just two years ago that we planted a small food hedge, and since then the lawn has gradually been disappearing!

Front Garden September 2011

We think that the front garden looks much better full of food crops, and so much more useful!


Front Garden September 2011

Here you can see that our food hedge is growing, and so are the veggies and herbs behind them.


Front Garden September 2011

Here you can see the Mulberry and Loquat trees and a glimpse of the compost bin amongst all the other food producing plants.


Front Garden September 2011

The birds and bees love our changed garden as much as we do!

Stand by Adam Guerrero and Defend the Right to Garden!

2011-09-24T08:46:00.000+08:00

Hulbert Street Sustainability Fiesta

2011-09-05T18:09:00.002+08:00

Have you always wondered what urban sustainable living looks like in reality? The Hulbert Street Sustainability Fiesta on the last weekend in September (Sept 24^th and 25^th) is your change to find out.

Hulbert Street is just a regular street of about 30 houses off Douro Road in South Fremantle, but each year they open their doors and their hearts so others can see what life is like in “Fremantle’s Most Sustainable Street”.

With two open sustainable homes, five open gardens and five open art studios, you are sure to leave inspired and full of plans for your place. This year a special Show and Tell area will allow you to interact with others who are willing to share some aspect of their sustainable journey – from keeping bees, to making soap, preserving your garden harvest to keeping chickens. And there is lots of free fun for the whole family – from the popular wood working stall, to art and craft activities, the fairy garden and two busking areas. A range of colourful stall holders include many community groups, local artists and companies selling sustainable products ranging from solar panels and water tanks to cloth nappies and organic seedlings.

We recommend bringing the whole family and staying for the whole weekend! And if you have been before, come again – with a new street mural, pizza oven, a rabbit breeding program and street goats we are sure you will be re inspired for your own sustainable journey!

Entry to the Fiesta is by donation, so come along, share and be inspired.

Shani Graham and Tim Darby

ECOBURBIA

The Painted Fish

stay@thepaintedfish.com.au
www.thepaintedfish.com.au

Give Peace a Chance

2011-08-26T21:34:00.000+08:00

She's alive...she's beautiful...

2011-08-20T21:11:00.000+08:00

Passionfruit Flummery

2011-08-14T12:26:00.000+08:00

Our Passionfruit vine continues to produce fruit, even though it is winter, and one of our favourite ways of using them is making a Passionfruit Flummery. This is an economical and tasty recipe which enables us to have a dessert that is also easy to make and reminds us of summer, even in this wet, windy Perth weather that we are now experiencing. The vine also has beautiful flowers and provides a lush, green privacy screen in our back garden.

Think Different

2011-08-05T20:33:00.003+08:00

Making Good Things GROW- Anne Batt, Sabrina Hahn and Oxfam

2011-07-31T19:12:00.000+08:00

This event aims to achieve many things, celebrate fifty years of volunteering for Oxfam by Anne Batt, raise much needed funds for the East Africa Appeal. We have ABC gardening expert, Sabrina Hahn, as the guest speaker and we hope to raise $3000 for Oxfam Australia at this event. For those who cannot attend, but would like to contribute, see the post about Anne's Oxfam Unwrapped wish list.

50 Million Trees and Counting: Trees for the Future

2011-07-31T13:44:00.000+08:00

Organic Gardening - Episode 1

2011-07-24T13:50:00.000+08:00

Earth Trust - Plastic Bottle Greenhouse

2011-07-11T19:52:00.001+08:00

Plastic bottle School Room - Samarpan Foundation

2011-07-10T19:51:00.003+08:00

Planting Peach Trees

2011-07-10T18:05:00.002+08:00

We have been given two large peach trees by a colleague who owns an orchard, he had planted them too closely together and so had had to dig many of them up. We were able to have two of the salvaged, heavily trimmed trees, and do hope that they will survive the rather rough few weeks that they have just had.

We pulled up the Persimmon and re-potted it ( not sure if it is actually still alive), and pulled down some of the trellis that we had up for the pumpkins to make room for one of the trees. In the background we have Mini Caulis, bean and snow peas growing.

We will be adding some extra mulch tomorrow, but ran out of time today.

There are buds all over the trees, we do not know which type they are, and hope that we have enough cool days here for them to produce fruit.

We decided that as these trees were much larger than we expected we should move the JuJube tree out beside the pool , fence, so that we can espalier it, and put the other Peach tree in its place.

If the trees settle in, we should be able to take advantage of some shade this year, something that is sorely needed in summer.

Consumption Rebellion: Sinking in...what I've learned ($2 a day challenge...

2011-07-09T21:19:00.000+08:00

Consumption Rebellion: Sinking in...what I've learned ($2 a day challenge...: "Hello everyone, I hope you are all having a good weekend. As usual, mine is very busy juggling all the things that come with sole parenting..."

Simple, Green, Frugal Co-op: Making Sustainable Purchases

2011-07-09T21:17:00.000+08:00

Simple, Green, Frugal Co-op: Making Sustainable Purchases

Use less Plastic

2011-07-08T00:06:00.003+08:00

Use Less Plastic from TakePart on Vimeo.

Planting Fruit Trees

2011-07-07T23:53:00.002+08:00

Growing Runner Beans

2011-07-07T21:28:00.000+08:00

We have just planted Runner Bean seedlings for the first time, we want to grow new plants on the wire frames that we constructed for the pumpkin vines. We have planted them alongside the snow peas that we have grown from seeds that we collected from last year's crop. The snow peas have reached the top of the frames in some places, and are now flowering. We hope to be able to harvest beans, peas and snow peas from these vertical gardens.

Planting Peas

2011-07-05T21:21:00.000+08:00

Today we planted some pea seedlings as all the seeds we planted had been devoured by birds or insects! We are not sure how ell they will go, as they are larger we hope that they can withstand the predators. Only time will tell if they can withstand the wind and weather as our hedge still has some growing to do before it can protect the vegetable garden.

Chilli Plants

2011-07-04T21:42:00.000+08:00

On the weekend we also purchased some Chilli seedlings, our last plant lasted almost three years, but finally needed to be pulled out and composted. We have harvested almost 1.5 kilos of chillies from that one plant over that time. We have used them fresh and dry, and indeed still have some dry ones in the kitchen now. We have also given many away, we love to share surplus produce with others.

Chinese Celery

2011-07-03T17:53:00.004+08:00

Today we planted Chinese Celery for the first time, we hope that it grows well, we bought it as a seedling produced by the Potted Wok, the info below is from their website.

Continual harvest, "cut and come again".
Pick leaves and stems as soon as the plants are big enough to withstand harvesting.
Pick one stem at a time or harvest the whole plant by cutting to a few centimetres above the ground and letting the plant regrow.
Water well in dry weather.
Liquid fertilise regularly.\Leaves or finely chopped stems can be used in salads, soups and stews and stir-fried rice and noodle dishes.
Chinese celery has a strong flavour, so don't use too much.
The stems may be stir-fried on their own with a small amount of soy sauce and sesame seeds. Or add bean sprouts and other vegetables to create an easy stir-fry.
The seeds can be used as a spice.

Grow Your Own Clothes

2011-07-01T20:48:00.000+08:00

The Hidden Beauty of Pollination

2011-06-30T20:45:00.001+08:00

Blogs- Building a Friendlier World

2011-06-29T20:40:00.000+08:00

Three Uses for Italian Parsley

2011-06-26T21:49:00.001+08:00

Today I harvested over 300g of Italian Parsley, some went into an ice-cube tray for future use. Some of it went into a Parsley Salad, and the remainder I am going to use to make Parsley Tea as it seems that it has many health benefits.

Living and learning

2011-06-26T21:02:00.000+08:00

You must learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t possibly live long enough to make them all yourself. – Samuel Levenson

The Simplicity Institute

2011-06-26T18:21:00.000+08:00

The Simplicity Institute is an evidence-based think-tank dedicated to providing the most rigorous and innovate research and policy analyses of the multi-facted problem of over-consumption.

Our defining objective is to map the road to a world of sustainable consumption – a world in which the entire community of life has an opportunity to flourish safely within Earth’s biophysical limits.

Our current multi-national research project is a survey-based analysis of people who are voluntarily embracing ‘post-consumerist’ lifestyles of reduced or restrained income and consumption.
Please take a look around the site to learn more.

The Secret of Success

2011-06-24T19:37:00.004+08:00

To know where to find the information and how you use it...That is the secret of success.

Albert Einstein

The Permaculture Song

2011-06-21T08:28:00.002+08:00

Lemon Syrup

2011-06-19T21:54:00.001+08:00

A surplus of lemons and only so much Lemon Butter you can cook means that I have been searching for new ways to use this surplus, and here is a recipe for Lemon Syrup which is excellent.

Ingredients:

Yield: 3 cups

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice

Change Measurements

Metric

Directions:

Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 18 mins

In a small saucepan, combine the 1 cup of sugar with 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately low heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves.

Pour the syrup into a heatproof bowl and let cool to room temperature, then stir in 1 1/2 cups of fresh lemon juice.

You may make ahead, the syrup keeps indefinitely.

Yarrow and Dwarf Nectarine

2011-06-16T12:46:00.001+08:00

Yarrow

We planted Yarrow in the no dig garden out the back as plants seemed to be struggling to survive in one section, and we had read that Yarrow improves and assist other plants. That certainly seems to be the case, although it has not flowered yet, it is flourishing, and we have even managed to propagate new plants. A recent bout of flu led us to the discovery that Yarrow can be used in a medicinal tea.


Dwarf Nectarine

Virginia Creeper

2011-06-15T14:35:00.000+08:00


Virginia Creeper

We put up a trellis in front of our front door and planted a Virginia Creeper last year, the aim being to shade the porch as the houses faces directly West and gets very hot. It still has a lot of growing to do, but has progressed well and the colour of the leaves as we head into winter is stunning. What I had not realized is that in the past parts of the plants were used for dye and medicinal purposes, fascinating. We we will be using it for its shade, beauty and will be composting the leaves.here you can also see some lovely Fair Trade lanterns, bought at my favourite Fair Trade Shop.

Lemon Butter

2011-06-14T21:11:00.000+08:00

In the same way that homegrown produce tastes better than most of that bought at a shop, making Lemon Butter from donated, organic, local lemons produce a Lemon Butter which taste so much better than anything on a supermarket shelf. A neighbor's generosity meant that I could make 15 jars today, for ne to enjoy cooking it has to be easy and the end product delicious. And I am pleased to say that I enjoyed the process and the end product very much.

Fruit Salad and Banana Plants

2011-06-13T13:04:00.000+08:00


Banana

The banana tree is struggling a little with the strong winter wind here, but continues to grow, though we do now wish that we have not grown it within a tyre. It was a big struggle to get the three new plants growing from it off, but we managed, quadrupling the number of banana plants in our small garden. So far we have only eaten the leaves but do hope to get some fruit next season.

Fruit Salad plant

After initially struggling the fruit salad plant appears to have settled into its home under the Hibiscus Tree. It has doubled in size this year, and we hope that next year we may even get to taste some fruit.

Frilly Lettuce

2011-06-12T15:03:00.000+08:00

These lettuces are grown from seeds from Green Harvest and they are absolutely delicious. You can order from Green Harvest online, or if near Bayswater or Claisbrooke, you can buy them from Environment House. As well they are available at their stall on Saturday mornings at Perth City Farm.

Feverfew, Passionfruit, Italian Parsley and Aloe Vera

2011-06-12T12:46:00.000+08:00

Feverfew

Having been very busy at work since February the garden has been neglected and it shows as we have very little produce available to use at the moment. We are lucky that we do not need to survive from this garden or we would be in trouble. However there are a few plants which are growing well, above is Feverfew which we planted to encourage beneficial insects, it has daisy like flowers in summer and the ladybirds and bees love it.

Italian Parsley

Another flourishing favourite is Italian Parsley, we grew this from seed and have been thrilled with the results, great to look at and delicious to eat, no garden should be without it.


Passion-fruit Vine

When you read about passion-fruit vines, it should be time to trim them back, but ours is covered in green fruit. Luckily i listened to Roots and Shoots on ABC radio yesterday and a caller explained that she no longer prunes back her vine as those small green fruits will ripen and grow once the weather is warmer again. Meanwhile it provides a fantastic screen.

Aloe Vera

This Aloe Vera plant has grown from a very small cutting I bought at he the local environment centre, I have never used it yet, but hope to do so once it gets larger.

Perennial Basil and Mexican Tarragon

2011-06-06T20:07:00.000+08:00

We now have many Perennial Basil plants in our garden, all from just one original plant. We have also given away many small plants to others as it is such a fantastic plant. It is delicious as part of a Tomato and Basil salad, recipe here, or as the main ingredient in a Basil Pesto. As well, it attracts hundreds of bees and is beautiful to look at. Here you can see the Basil growing beside a Mexican Tarragon, we had no idea how lovely the flowers would be and are looking forward to tasting it soon.

Time to Grow with Oxfam

2011-05-31T18:18:00.004+08:00

Good Return

2011-05-27T22:26:00.003+08:00

Good Return - A New Way of Giving from Good Return on Vimeo.

Homegrown Film night 3rd June 7.30pm

2011-05-18T19:33:00.003+08:00