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Elaeagnus x ebbingei

Elaeagnus x ebbingei

Botanical name   Elaeagnus x ebbingei
Family   Elaeagnaceae
Details   Fast-growing, wind, cold & salt tolerant. Dense evergreen dark-green shrub with glossy leaves.
Highly-scented white flowers in autumn followed by orange-red edible fruit mid spring (Early October at blockhill).
Fruiting after 4 years
Nitrogen fixer.
Flowers   White
Diameter   5.00
Height (m)   5
Forest layer   shrub
Drought tolerance  
Edible  
Evergreen  
Fruit / berries  
Nitrogen fixer  
Perennial  
Shade / Sun   Full shade to full sun
Soil type   Most
Wind tolerance   Maritime exposure
Tags     berries  spring 
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Baby praying mantis

Baby praying mantis

A recently hatched young praying mantis. These guys hunt and eat other insects which is generally a beneficial trait.
  insect 
Feijoa

Feijoa

Common name   feijoa, pineapple guava
Botanical name   Acca sellowiana
Family   Myrtaceae
Flowers   Pink
Diameter   4.00
Forest layer   shrub
Height (m)   4
Drought tolerance  
Edible  
Evergreen  
Fruit / berries  
Perennial  
Shade / Sun   Full sun
Tags     hedge  autumn  fruit 
Rating  
Propagation method   Graft
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Complexity vs resilience

Complexity vs resilience

Complexity
Modern civilisation is a marvel of complexity. An extensive array of entwined and interdependent systems that, when functioning, deliver something much greater than the parts. Unfortunately, complexity isn’t without its failings and is polar opposite of resilience.

It’s easy, as a member of this complex civilisation, to unconsciously introduce complexity into our own projects. The insidious thing about complexity is that it brings with it ongoing support and maintenance which consumes time and resources and in many cases entices the application of further complexity.

Before embarking on something new it is well worth considering what future commitments are required to ensure its continuance. This can then be weighed against the alternatives of less complex solutions or perhaps the simplest of all, doing nothing.

Resilience
The ability to endure changes in circumstance is highly valuable and often the first casualty of the modern drive for efficiency. The current era is likely to be dominated by change (climactic, social, economic) making resilience an essential component to personal future planning.

From the standpoint of resilience, technology is less of a panacea and a potential millstone.
  complexity  resilience 
olmec
2020

2020

Tags     2020 
Beneficial insects

Beneficial insects

Insects play an import role in the health of our gardens and the wider ecosystem. By creating a conducive environment we can encourage the tiny helpers to hang around. Insects prey on others, pollinate plants, are food for birds and generally add to the richness, complexity and diversity of a healthy ecosystem.
  insects 
olmec
Plants to encourage beneficial insects

Terracing and trees

Details   8 years on - Adding terraces to steep slopes reduces runoff keeping valuable water of site longer while also improving access for planting, maintenance and harvest. Trees can be more densely planted, stacked and over hanging one another for maximum productivity. This natural sun trap is the ideal location for a solar powered clothes dryer and a wonderful micro climate with excellent cold air drainage.
Tags     2017  Progress  September 
Restoring China's Loess Plateau

Restoring China's Loess Plateau

Home to more than 50 million people, the Loess Plateau in China’s Northwest takes its name from the dry powdery wind-blown soil. Centuries of overuse and overgrazing led to one of the highest erosion rates in the world and widespread poverty.

Two projects set out to restore China’s heavily degraded Loess Plateau through one of the world’s largest erosion control programs with the goal of returning this poor part of China to an area of sustainable agricultural production.
  land  water  terracing 
olmec
Results
Fertigate with ducks

Fertigate with ducks

A simple and effective way to fertigate (fertilise while irrigating) fruit trees or other productive plantings using an old bath tub. Like all good permaculture solutions, this stacks functions by providing the ducks with a source of water to enjoy while collecting their nutrient, discharging it via gravity. It could also provide some thermal mass to help nearby plants during cold times...
  ducks  water  nutrient 
Check out the diagram
Osteospermum Seeds

Osteospermum Seeds

Common name   African daisies, daisybushes
Botanical name   Osteospermum
Details   Easy care plant for dry areas. Does not tolerate hard frost Covered with bright flowers for much of the year, enjoyed by bees.
Drought tolerance  
Frost sensitive  
Perennial  
Tags     flowers  pink 
Price   $3.90  20 seeds
Learn More Out of stock
Zucchini Seeds

Zucchini Seeds

Colour   Pale green
Common name   courgette
Botanical name   Botanical name
Details   A vigorous vining plant producing large numbers of dumpy fruit. Harvest regularly while small for a constant supply.
Edible  
Frost sensitive  
Tags     annual  edible  fruit  tender  vegetable 
Price   $3.90  20 seeds
Watch Learn More Out of stock
Chaste Tree seeds

Chaste Tree seeds

Common name   vitex, chaste tree, chasteberry, Abraham's balm, lilac chastetree, monk's pepper
Botanical name   Vitex angus castus
Drought tolerance  
Tags     perennial  shrub  health 
Price   $4.90  20 seeds
Watch Learn More Out of stock
Siberian Pea Shrub seeds

Siberian Pea Shrub seeds

Botanical name   Caragana arborescens
Details   A genus of shrubs mostly native to Central Asia, some inhabiting dry, half-desert regions with hot summers and bitterly cold winters. They include some of the toughest and most accommodating of all plants, some able to survive temperatures down to -40°C

Seed is normally harvested late summer - autumn.

Due to drought our neglected plants did not set seed. Check back summer 2025 or join the wait list
Nitrogen fixer  
Perennial  
Tags     perennial  shrub  legume 
Price   $5.90  20 seeds
Watch Learn More Out of stock
Globe Artichoke

Globe Artichoke

Botanical name   Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus
Details   The globe artichoke is a variety of a species of large thistle cultivated as a food. The edible matter is buds that form within the flower heads before the flowers come into bloom.
Edible  
Perennial  
Tags     perennial  shrub  vegetable 
Price   $3.90  20 seeds
Forest layer   herbaceous
Watch Out of stock
Hopi Black Dye Sunflower Seeds

Hopi Black Dye Sunflower Seeds

Propagation method   Sow direct
Botanical name   Lunaria annua
Details   Similar to the regular, common sunflower but often having multiple smaller flowers and dark purple / black seed casing that the Hopi people of North America have traditionally used to make a dye for cotton, wool and basketry
Edible  
Seeds / nuts / tubers  
Tags     edible  flowers  yellow 
Price   $4.90  20 seeds
Watch Learn More Out of stock
Columbine Seeds

Columbine Seeds

Common name   granny's bonnet, columbine
Botanical name   Aquilegia
Details   Purple flowers, loved by bumblebees. Grows well in a range of sites. Seeds are poisonous.
Perennial  
Tags     flowers  purple 
Price   $3.10  40 seeds
Watch Learn More  Order
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