Sunday, January 30, 2011

Permaculture Principles - gift offer!

This is my first Loofa...
As it's the last weekend of the month, I thought it was timely to do a garden update, which includes some of my pondering about gardening. I have a fabulous Permaculture calendar and diary this year. The Calendar has identified one of the permaculature principles to focus on each month -a meditation point or discussion starter.
  • January - Observe & Interact
  • February - Catch & store energy
  • March - Obtain & yield
  • April - Apply self regulation & accept feedback
  • May - Use & value renewable resources & services
  • June - Produce no waste
  • July - Design from patterns to details
  • August - Integrate rather than segregate
  • September - Use small & slow solutions
  • October - Use & value diversity
  • November - Use edges & value the marginal
  • December - Creatively use & response to change
So, in January I've been observing my Loofa develop. When I planted the vine months ago, I had hopes of being able to give the Loofa sponges away for gifts at Christmas. However at Christmas there were no Loofas on the vine. Now I have three and more on their way.... so exciting. You may be wondering though, how does a squash/zucchini fruit turn into a sponge?? Check out this video...

My interactions in the garden recently have included capturing seed from lettuce, bok choy and parsley, allowing the spiders to take control of the insect issues - which means interacting from time to time with a web, and harvesting. January's best harvests included tomatoes, peaches, nectarines, beans, spinach, rhubarb, radishes and basil.

Gift Offer!!! - I have a free copy of the Permaculture Calendar to send to someone who would like it. Just let me know in the comments section. I'll send it to the first person who shows an interest. Enjoy!

3 comments:

Minni Mum said...

Hi Tamara,
Just landed on your blog via the comments you left on mine - love your blog! Awesome to see another local into living lightly :-) I'd love to say give your Permaculture calender away tgo someone else... but really, I would love one! Ahem :-) Maybe we could organise a swap!

Jeanie said...

I don't think I had a clue that this was where loofas came from! Learn something new every day!

Your garden is beautiful -- I'm glad you aren't in the area of the floods.

Ruth said...

Oh I want to plant loofa! Must tell husband, who is buying seeds. I wonder if growing them from seed is easy.

I love winter, but you are making me long for our summer garden.