I can’t imagine not having a garden.  From time to time, my life gets so busy that my garden gets neglected, or lack of water makes me scale right back.   But I always go back to it.  Life is such a miracle, such a lucky nexus of so many necessary conditions, and food is so much at the centre of it.

Food is the basis for our own life – the pleasure of it and the keeping of it.  It is also the basis of our relationship with every other species on the planet, either directly in a forage or predator relationship, or indirectly as competitors for the finite planetary resources.

Honouring, respecting, enjoying, being responsible about food seems to me to be basic to loving life. Every witch’s kitchen needs a kitchen garden!

It does not, however, have to be a full permaculture system (fun though that is.) Herbs in pots make a huge difference to culinary style.  Growing sprouts and salad greens in boxes and little doorstep beds is small effort for large reward.  In season vegetables, once you are into the rhythm of it, don’t take a huge amount of time or space.  Backyard fruit trees, well chosen, can earn their keep with side benefits before you even get to the  gluttonous yields.  Chooks make wonderful pets.

I have written about permaculture, on and off, for years.  Here are some articles about the basics, and (more fun for me) my new blog diary of  garden adventures.

Early Spring

Mid Spring

Late Spring

Early Summer

Mid Summer

Late Summer

Early Autumn

Mid Autumn

Late Autumn

Early Winter

Mid Winter

Late Winter

Some FAQs

Why I don’t Use Chook Domes Any More

Compost, Earthworms, Chickens and Waste

A Quick Guide to Breeding Compost Bacteria

Lunatic Gardening – Using a Lunar Planting Calendar

Day Length and Photoperiodism – Gardening by the Solstices and Equinoxes

Up-Gardening: Gardening in Small Spaces