What is Permaculture?

PERMACULTURE Permaculture is a broad based and holistic approach that has many applications to all aspects of life. At the heart of all sustainable design and practice however is a fundemental set of ‘core values’ or ethics (Earthcare, Peoplecare and Fairshares) and principles which remain constant whatever our situation, whether we are creating systems for town planning or trade, whether the land we care for is a windowbox or a 2000 hectare forest....

Read More

Why Garden Organically?

Gardeners may choose organic growing techniques for several reasons. Some do so because they believe organic gardens and landscapes are better for their health and the health of their families. Others grow organically because they believe this practice is better for the environment. And some gardeners believe organic gardens are more productive and beautiful. I grow organically for all these reasons and because, when I do so, I become part of the...

Read More

“Engine Room” Of A Plant

Every plant needs at least some light in order to grow and prosper, but the amount really varies. Mushrooms (which are actually fungi), for instance, can grow in bins in a dim basement or shed; daisies and water lilies, on the other hand, crave hot, full-on sunshine. Plenty of plants rest in the middle of these two extremes, of course. And some plants, like azaleas and daylilies, grow well enough in less-optimum light but don’t flower well in the...

Read More

To Bee or Not to Bee?

I’ve been keeping bees in my backyard since 1983, and I have a confession to make — I really love my bees. That may sound weird to you if you aren’t a beekeeper (yet!), but virtually everyone who keeps bees will tell you the same thing and speak with deep warmth about “their girls.” They impatiently await their next opportunity to visit their hives. They experience a true emotional loss when their bees don’t make it through a bad winter. Beekeepers,...

Read More

How to keep a moth orchid alive

By Adrian Higgins To some minds, the poinsettia is cheapened by its ubiquity. But somehow that everywhere orchid — the phalaenopsis or moth orchid — always seems elegant and exotic, even when herded in the big-box store or supermarket. Mass cloning techniques and industrial-scale propagation in places like Taiwan have kept the market well-fed with unnamed varieties — big whites, pinky purples and weird bicolors — that seem as abundant and...

Read More