Suddenly, it’s okay to just not turn up

Recently we have noticed an unhappy trend. People book into our courses and then don't show up on the day. I'm not unsympathetic, and I know that life can be unpredictable, but we're seeing this occur in numbers well beyond the reasonable. Not only are people failing to show, they are failing to let us …

Growing Plants From Cuttings

My propagation methods are based on my observations of nature, and years of trial and error. I think I've cracked it. It's a great way to have loads of plants for free!

Epigenetic Gardening

I was probably destined to be a gardener. It's in my DNA. I have my Mum to thank for that.

Is “self sufficiency” just a bit of marketing genius?

What if I told you that the entire "self sufficiency" movement was just a trick used by companies to sell you stuff. How and why did this concept become shackled to permaculture?

How Scary Viral Videos Work

I first wrote this piece in the middle of the pandemic, when viral videos were terrifying people about vaccinations. For a whole range of reasons I'm reposting it. Now that the fear and anxiety has largely dissipated it's a different kind of read, but still, I think, a valid one:I finished my twenty-year policing career …

Desire lines and systems thinking

Desire lines are a design tool that can be applied to any type of pathway, including literal pathways through gardens, and procedural pathways involving laws, procedures and behaviours. This post explores the application of desire lines in gardens, work places and families.

Unfriending Facebook

I'm not breaking up with Facebook. I'm just realising that it was never really my friend.

Produce Swaps, Produce Shares and Crop Swaps

Some of the finest iterations of the permaculture ethic, Fair Share, are the various events held in local communities where people bring their surplus to share with others. There are loads of different variations, and they remind me that one of permaculture's greatest strengths is flexibility; take the ethics and the principles and use a …

The Bowl

Someone asked, “What kind of bowl should I give my child?” and people offered all kinds of ideas for another version of plastic.  I wanted to give her child a bowl of clay, shaped by loving hands and baked in fire. I wanted to teach her child about soil and earth and how all life …

Traditional Food Gardens vs Permaculture

I’m often asked what the difference is between a standard vegetable garden and a permaculture garden. The short answer is “lots”! When most people think of a vegetable garden they imagine rectangular raised beds, each with only one or two kinds of plant. These gardens are a source of great enjoyment for many people, but …