Latest news with #permaculture
ABC News
04-07-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Five winter jobs to do in the garden
Do you think there's not much to do in the edible garden over winter? I used to feel the same, but I've come to love this quieter season. As growth in my veggie patch slows to a crawl, it's the perfect time to tackle slower, behind-the-scenes jobs that make a big difference come spring. Here are five jobs I'm prioritising this season for my backyard permaculture patch, within the temperate climate zone of Tarntanya/Adelaide. You can check your zone using Gardening Australia's online map, which also provides month-by-month planting guides for your area. Weeds inevitably pop up after winter rains, but instead of waging war on them, I work with them. Many common weeds are nutrient-rich and can be pulled up to feed my compost, or even myself. Stinging nettle, for example, is my favourite winter weed. I love to: I also use strategies to help naturally suppress weeds. I've created natural barriers on garden paths using thick layers of overlapping cardboard (sourced free from local businesses), topped with about 4cm of bark mulch. This blocks sunlight and smothers weeds. In other spots, I grow edible groundcovers such as marjoram, thyme, nasturtiums and warrigal greens for a living mulch barrier. Winter is prime pruning time in my garden. Within my mini food forest, deciduous fruit trees such as an apple, pear, nectarine and cherry drop their leaves, so it's easy to see their structure and give them a good clip-back. Pruning now encourages better fruiting come summer and makes harvesting easier too. It's a great time to try grafting, where you join different plant varieties onto the same rootstock. In my small garden, I'm hoping to add more pear varieties to my existing tree this winter. I also keep an eye out for self-seeded herb, flower or veggie seedlings that pop up in paths or garden beds. Rather than tossing them all in the compost, I'll pot a few up to share with friends and neighbours via my urban honesty stall — a lovely way to spread the winter abundance around. After all that pruning, I have plenty of material to feed my compost system. A quick spin through my small mulcher turns bulky branches into small pieces that break down more quickly. Then, to help build the heap more quickly, I do a bit of urban foraging. I collect spent coffee grounds from a local cafe for nitrogen and gather the last of any fallen autumn leaves from nearby deciduous street trees for carbon. Layered together, the two help keep my compost balanced. As the weather cools, compost can slow down, so I give mine a turn once or twice in winter to keep it active. I use a spiral compost turner rather than a shovel — it's quicker and easier on my back. All this helps ensure plentiful homemade compost to use when spring planting rolls around. The cooler months are ideal for recharging soil, ready for the big warm-season harvests ahead. I refresh the no-dig layers in my veggie beds with alternating additions of carbon and nitrogen, such as compost, straw, activated biochar, manure and organic fertiliser. From mid-winter onwards, I start thinking about warm-weather plantings and start seeds indoors to get a jump on spring planting, especially heat-loving plants such as tomatoes and capsicums. I don't have any fancy seed-raising gear, so I start seeds in pots indoors where it's warmer. Once they sprout, I shift them to a sunny north-facing kitchen windowsill. After a few weeks, once they've formed their true leaves, I move the pots outside daily to help them adjust — a process called "hardening off". The slower pace of winter gardening offers a chance to step back and consider what worked, what didn't and what might need tweaking for next season — a great way to practically apply the permaculture principle "apply self-regulation and accept feedback". I pay particular attention to anything I grew but didn't eat much of, or any giant harvests that overwhelmed me, meaning food went to waste. This helps me understand what I should plant less of or simply stop growing. Continually tweaking my plant list to prioritise food I actually like helps me to eat from my garden more consistently. By focusing on these simple winter jobs, I set myself up for a garden that gradually grows healthier and more abundant next season. Koren Helbig is a sustainable city living educator who practices permaculture and grows organic food in the backyard of her small urban Tarntanya (Adelaide) home.
SBS Australia
24-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- SBS Australia
What exactly is permaculture, and can you apply it to everyday urban life?
Analiese Gregory has embraced beekeeping as part of her move to a permaculture lifestyle in Tasmania. A Girl's Guide to Hunting, Fishing and Wild Cooking If you assume permaculture is only for rural homesteaders with chickens and endless veggie patches, it's time to think again. At its core, permaculture is not a gardening trend, it's a philosophy for living more sustainably, no matter where you are. 'It's a design system approach , which gives you a framework so you can design a life using ethics and principles,' explains Fernando Moreno, a homesteader based in Central Victoria. Originally from Colombia, Moreno once worked in business administration, until an internship on a regenerative farm and time spent learning from one of permaculture's co-founders shifted his entire outlook. 'For me, permaculture is an invitation to stop, slow down, and reflect on where you are. And then start thinking holistically about your impact on the world, your decisions, your relationship with your community, your relationship with food, your relationship with the house that you live in, your relationship with the energy that you use, and your relationship with your transportation,' he says. The word permaculture was coined in 1970s Tasmania by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren. Drawing from Indigenous knowledge and traditional land practices, they developed a framework to help people live in harmony with nature. Interestingly, it is in Tasmania that world renowned chef Analiese Gregory decamped to, swapping big city living for the permaculture way of life in her own country cottage. Her journey of embracing farming and sustainable living is documented in A Girl's Guide to Hunting, Fishing and Wild Cooking , with Season 2 launching in June 2025. Holmgren articulated 12 principles , which include 'observe and interact', 'catch and store energy', 'produce no waste', 'use and value diversity' and 'creatively use and respond to change.' Closer to home, your local community garden or even your compost bin are embracing permaculture principles. Best of all, it's not an all-or-nothing approach. 'Permaculture isn't rigid,' Moreno says. 'You can start where you are.' 'Instead of going and shopping to the big supermarkets, you might start thinking about supporting your local farmers at the farmers market,' says Moreno, who loves to eat what's abundant and in season. If you're dreaming of a backyard harvest, Hannah Moloney, co-founder of Hobart-based Good Life Permaculture , recommends taking the time to design your garden. 'This will help create space that meets all your needs, and is more likely to avoid mistakes which can cost you time and money,' she says . Wondering what is permaculture gardening? ' Diversity of plants is key to a healthy garden,' Moloney explains. "Grow a range of herbs, salads, vegetables, and fruits strategically. This diversity will help prevent pest invasions and provide a broad yield across all seasons." Grow food that you actually love to eat, and lean into companion planting (like pairing basil with tomatoes). Include some native plants too; they're well adapted to local conditions and support biodiversity. No big backyard? No problem. Moreno recommends using pots and vertical gardens to grow plants like lettuce, chillies and herbs. Even a sunny windowsill can be productive. 'There should be nothing organic going into your bin. Compost everything and cycle those nutrients back into your productive garden to feed the soil and plants,' says Moloney . If you're tight on space, a worm farm is a compact (and surprisingly low-maintenance) solution. Collect the cold water that runs while your shower heats up, or save the last bit of your water bottle. Buckets, basins and rainwater tanks are your allies in reducing water waste. Got too many pumpkins? Trade with neighbours, gift them, or start a community swap. Permaculture values community as much as it does sustainability. For Moreno, permaculture is a way to navigate a complex world with clarity and hope. 'People are really worried about the world and want to do something, but they don't know what to do. Permaculture gives you tools to start thinking about what you can do,' he sums up. Watch now Share this with family and friends
Daily Mail
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Truth behind Hannah Spearritt's 'off-grid', prepper life in Costa Rica, her VERY environmentally unfriendly car and her unlikely shopping habits
Former S Club 7 star Hannah Spearritt has recently delighted her Instagram followers with posts from her idyllic new tropical home in Costa Rica, where she and her partner Adam Thomas are determined to 'live off the land'. Hannah, 44, changed her bio to: 'Prepper, survivalist and creator now living the uninhibited jungle life.' But as these exclusive photos show, even an eco-warrior needs the occasional visit to the supermarket in their gas-guzzling 4x4. Last week, Adam, 45, loaded up the couple's 3.0 litre diesel Hi Lux pick-up with the weekly shop at the huge BM supermarket in Dominical, about half an hour down the mountain from where the couple and their two young daughters have based themselves. Hannah and Adam's hillside estate with its own waterfalls and stunning views of lush green valleys is a far cry from their life in Britain, which they waved goodbye to in January. Hannah announced to her 348k Instagram followers that the couple now plan to 'learn permaculture' so they can 'live off the land' growing fruit and vegetables. But locals and other expats in the hills above Dominical on Costa Rica's Pacific coast, told MailOnline that the challenges of self-sufficiency can be 'immense'. 'Of course it depends on several factors such as how much dough you have, how much land and above all, how much experience,' said an American member of the local ex-pat Facebook group, Domi Crew. 'It can be done, of course, but there are a lot of people who've tried and underestimated how difficult it is, then been forced to look for some other kind of paid work instead to get by.' If that should happen to Hannah and Adam, there would be plenty of opportunities in the thriving tourist and surfing resort of Dominical, should the couple decide to work. The town is less than half an hour's drive down the mountain in their huge gas-guzzling 3.0 litre diesel Toyota Hi Lux pick-up which Hannah showed off on Instagram recently. There is a wide range of luxury hotels, yoga retreats, craft breweries, high-end restaurants, natural food stores, fast food restaurants and a huge BM supermarket, where the couple have both been seen. Though some Instagram followers have assumed the couple's wooden house with glorious views of the sunrise from the terrace would be 'off grid', it almost certainly is not. More than 99 per cent of the many villas and farms dotted in the forest are on mains electriicty and most boast air conditioning and high-speed internet as well, delivered either by fibre optic cable or satellite. Judging by photos posted by Adam on Facebook in their airy kitchen with a high vaulted ceiling, the family won't lack any mod cons in the home. At the supermarket this week, MailOnline spotted Adam loading a trolley high with goods including loo paper and bread to take home. Before heading back to their apartment, he emptied the truck of some rubbish including a soft drink cup from McDonald's. One real estate agent in Dominical told MailOnline: 'There is a very healthy property market around here and it's driven by foreigners. Many of them are digital nomads running their business from here because it's beautiful, with the jungle, the beaches and the quality of life. 'But actually making a living from the land is a tough job, unless you have significant resources and know-how, or have enough property to rent it out to paying guests.' It's not known how much capital Hannah and Adam have between them, but their plans to open a holistic food store in Twickenham had to be shelved last year, reportedly because of spiralling costs. The commercial property in the heart of Twickenham village, bought in Hannah's name in November 2018 for £520,000 with a mortgage, was sold in March, having been on the market for £900,000. Adam announced the couple's move to Central America back in January with a foul-mouthed attack on Britain, declaring 'F*** the UK and f*** the f***ing lot of them. We GOOONE!!!'. His intemperate Facebook post was accompanied by a sweet photo of his two daughters, Taya, five and four-year-old Tora, in a hammock at their stunning rain forest house. But the bitter tone of his invective against politicians of all hues, and 'nosey jobsworth c***s in every government department and the NHS' raised another question. Could an ugly incident which saw the couple clash with police and social workers three years ago over an injury to their baby daughter have been a factor in their decision to quit Britain? The move to Costa Rica brought to an end a well-publicised nightmare few years for Hannah, which included the death of her ex-boyfriend and band member Paul Cattermole in 2023, her awkward departure from S Club 7, a disastrous breast implant surgery resulting in years of ill health and a spell in rehab to wean her off powerful pain killers. But less well known is one of the darkest chapters in her 2023 autobiography, Facing the Music, billed as a 'searingly candid memoir', concerning a clash between the couple and social services. In December 2022, while house-sitting for friends in Virginia Water, Surrey, press reports branded the couple 'homeless' while they were between rental flats. When then toddler Tora suffered an injury, believed to be caused by a dog jumping up and scratching her eyelid, Hannah wrote: 'We found ourselves on the radar of social services, an absolutely ridiculous situation to be in, totally unjustified.' She recalled the horrific incident when she ran toward the sound of Tora's screams: 'The scene that I came upon in the living room will stay with me forever. Tora was standing on the couch, eyelids horrifically lacerated and the worst facial injury I've ever seen.' At the hospital, she wrote: 'One of the nurses came in, and asked Adam if she could have a word with him outside. What I didn't know was that as soon as he left the room, the police were waiting for him and arrested him, taking him off in handcuffs. 'What was already a terrible situation had ramped up to something indescribable'. Hannah claimed that media reports about their temporary homelessness had somehow convinced the authorities that it was likely that one or other of them had inflicted their daughter's injuries. She said: 'It's truly frightening to think that someone with absolutely zero evidence can paint a picture like that which influences someone being arrested and locked up while their daughter lies in a hospital bed, waiting for major surgery.' She added: 'It felt like persecution, one of those police states that people talk about. 'Honestly, I don't think I can ever forgive the people responsible, although we've made every effort to forget about it, and them, as quickly as possible.' Nevertheless, while the social services conducted their investigation, she said, the family had to live in accommodation where other responsible adults were present. She added: 'This was adding insult to serious injury and bearing in mind my gradual decline in health generally, I was really beginning to despair.' It wasn't the first time Adam Thomas had been investigated for alleged violence. In 2016, he was charged with attacking Hannah in a domestic argument, and intimidating a witness. But when the case came to trial, it collapsed, and he was found not guilty of common assault and witness intimidation during a hearing at Kingston Crown Court. The court heard that three prosecution witnesses were not available and that the case could not proceed. Adam Thomas was found not guilty and discharged. Hannah and Adam are believed to have chosen Costa Rica to settle after enjoying a trip to the stunning location in 2018. The visit originally inspired them to set up the café, Fire and Earth, in Twickenham in 2022. However, it was never ready to open fully and they sold up earlier this year. A source said: 'It's the latest in a sequence of setbacks. The new plan is selling up and moving to Costa Rica to live off the land.' Meanwhile Hannah, who has suffered from an autoimmune condition since 2013, had been set to join her former band on their comeback tour in 2023 but pulled out following a feud over contracts. Following the row, the other members - Rachel Stevens, Jo O'Meara, Jon Lee, Bradley McIntosh and Tina Barrett – announced that they would continue as a five-piece. All the mod cons are available to the family with 99 per cent of the many villas and farms dotted in the forest are on mains electricity and most boast air conditioning and high-speed internet Hannah was said to have been blindsided by the S Club announcement, with her being left on bad terms with the band in which she rose to fame in the early 2000s. She then reportedly drafted in lawyers and made the bold move to release her autobiography on the same day the band would have taken to the stage. Before Paul's death, all seven members of the chart-topping band initially confirmed they were reuniting for a landmark 25th anniversary tour. Hannah initially refused to join the line-up, citing a lack of childcare and only agreed to join when music manager Simon Fuller offered to pay for nannies to come along. Two months later, band member Paul died, and Hannah then accepted a five-figure sum to tell her story, which left a bitter taste in the remaining band member's mouths. The Dancing On Ice star apologised to S Club's fans for deciding to leave but said she had to do what was best for herself and her family.
The Guardian
26-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
June Walker obituary
My cousin June Walker, who has died aged 89, was a pioneer of permaculture in Malawi, where she lived for almost 70 years. As June put it: 'There are three principles: care for the earth and its people and share the surplus. Learn how to grow food without chemicals or money. That is all it is.' After a long career as a teacher and volunteer, June turned to her final calling after meeting Jeremy Burnham, a permaculture advocate based in South Africa. She became involved with the Permaculture Malawi group, a network of workers and specialists involved in promoting and training for smallholding farming systems, and soil and water health and stability. In 'retirement', June funded the Mkandwe Eco-Village, where villagers put these principles into practice. The elder daughter of Elsie (nee Tomkins) and Leo Bottrill, who both worked in banking, June was born in Blackley, Manchester, but grew up in the nearby town of Whitefield, where the family settled when June was two. A few years later, June's aunt, Marion, a Sunday school teacher, gave her a magazine about Africa and she set her heart on going there. June and her sister, Ruth, both attended Bury grammar school, and while there June met Brian Walker. While she completed a BSc at Nottingham University, he did national service in Malaya, serving with the King's African Rifles. By 1956 they were engaged and in 1957 they married. Their interest in Africa led Brian to Chikwawa, in Nyasaland (now Malawi), and June joined him there after a stint at Broughton high school for girls, Salford, to qualify as a teacher. Her voluntary work began with a mothers' and infants' welfare clinic at Mulanje. By 1961, the couple had settled in the city of Blantyre with their three sons. June taught chemistry in schools there, including the Sir Robert Armitage high school, while volunteering for Save the Children. Following independence in 1964, Brian became a civil servant in the government of Hastings Banda's government, and the family moved to the capital, Zomba (the current capital is Lilongwe). June continued to teach, worked with women in Zomba prison, and co-wrote The Malawi Cookbook (1974), to encourage use of local produce. Following a move to Lilongwe, June became a deacon in the Anglican church. In tandem with the Malawi council for disabled people, she established a tie-dye centre, training people with disabilities to live and work independently. She was appointed MBE in 1995. In retirement, as well as the Mkandwe Eco-Village, she supported the Mangochi Orphan Education Trust. Brian died suddenly in 2003. June lived the rest of her life by Lake Malawi with her carers. The Walker Thanthwe Trust has been established to support her legacy in Malawi. She is survived by her sons, Timothy, Christopher and Jonathan, two grandchildren, Gemma and Benjamin, and her sister, Ruth.
