Two blog posts in one week? whatever next ;)
Just wanted to say a few words on behalf of permaculture....a new word for a lot of old wisdom........
Now a couple of us at Transition Chelmsford have achieved the heady heights of being certified permaculture designers, but I think we'd both confess to not having actually tackled quite such a big challenge as our allotment provides before.....so we're looking forward to learning lots, making lits of mistakes (see, there's the first - 'lots' of mistakes) and sharing the development of ideas and action with Team Transition.
So, striking while the iron is hot, I thought a first blog post on permaculture might be apt for those interested.
One of the very first tenets of permaculture is the importance of observation of the natural environment, soil type, natural ground cover, flora and fauna, prevailing winds natural wind breaks, topographical challenges and opportunities. In permaculture, 'the problem is the solution'.
And so, I fell at the first hurdle with my happy go lucky 'yes please, mow the whole plot this afternoon with your big ride on mower' to our increasingly good friend Valerie at the Council. Oops. Admittedly I did request the preservation of the peripheral nettles and there are lovely banks of brambles, elderflower and hawthorn bordering the brook which runs along the south west border of our plot, protecting us from prevailing winds, spray drift from the adjoining commercial farmland an also some beautiful old trees (yet to be identified) but distinctly less of everything else now.
So, after the mass mowing debacle, the lovely Janee is taking up the reins this weekend to have her first look at the plot and do some plant identification. I'm not feeling too bad because the chicory, nettles, docks and buttercups will soon grow back if we want them to........and I'm sure any associated wildlife will have found temporary shelter in surrounding high grass and wild areas.
Two of the debates I'm looking forward to are the dig vs no dig options for beginning our plot, and the perennial versus annual split. We could create a really interesting completely perennial garden which would demonstrate beautifully the sustainability and low maintenance capeable in permaculture systems. Equally the power of planting and sowing with the cycles of the seasons is such a powerful way to connect people with our beautiful planet again that part of me wants to ensure as many people as possible can come and join us and work with the land.
However for now I'm humbled by my forgetfulness of the power of honouring nature and taking time to reflect versus my 'gung ho' excitement at wanting to start creating the foundations of a burgeoning community garden where knowledge and wisdom can be shown and shared more widely in this new City of ours.
And my sister is doing a stirling job of preventing me from climbing into skips and hauling home huge hunks of timber until we actually make a plan............
Just wanted to say a few words on behalf of permaculture....a new word for a lot of old wisdom........
Now a couple of us at Transition Chelmsford have achieved the heady heights of being certified permaculture designers, but I think we'd both confess to not having actually tackled quite such a big challenge as our allotment provides before.....so we're looking forward to learning lots, making lits of mistakes (see, there's the first - 'lots' of mistakes) and sharing the development of ideas and action with Team Transition.
So, striking while the iron is hot, I thought a first blog post on permaculture might be apt for those interested.
One of the very first tenets of permaculture is the importance of observation of the natural environment, soil type, natural ground cover, flora and fauna, prevailing winds natural wind breaks, topographical challenges and opportunities. In permaculture, 'the problem is the solution'.
And so, I fell at the first hurdle with my happy go lucky 'yes please, mow the whole plot this afternoon with your big ride on mower' to our increasingly good friend Valerie at the Council. Oops. Admittedly I did request the preservation of the peripheral nettles and there are lovely banks of brambles, elderflower and hawthorn bordering the brook which runs along the south west border of our plot, protecting us from prevailing winds, spray drift from the adjoining commercial farmland an also some beautiful old trees (yet to be identified) but distinctly less of everything else now.
So, after the mass mowing debacle, the lovely Janee is taking up the reins this weekend to have her first look at the plot and do some plant identification. I'm not feeling too bad because the chicory, nettles, docks and buttercups will soon grow back if we want them to........and I'm sure any associated wildlife will have found temporary shelter in surrounding high grass and wild areas.
Two of the debates I'm looking forward to are the dig vs no dig options for beginning our plot, and the perennial versus annual split. We could create a really interesting completely perennial garden which would demonstrate beautifully the sustainability and low maintenance capeable in permaculture systems. Equally the power of planting and sowing with the cycles of the seasons is such a powerful way to connect people with our beautiful planet again that part of me wants to ensure as many people as possible can come and join us and work with the land.
However for now I'm humbled by my forgetfulness of the power of honouring nature and taking time to reflect versus my 'gung ho' excitement at wanting to start creating the foundations of a burgeoning community garden where knowledge and wisdom can be shown and shared more widely in this new City of ours.
And my sister is doing a stirling job of preventing me from climbing into skips and hauling home huge hunks of timber until we actually make a plan............