The hills are alive with the sound of blitzin!
The theme song for this Permablitz newsletter is Autumnsong by the Manic Street Preachers.
Permablitz News
There’s a few personnel changes afoot at Camp Permablitz – our Innie extraordinaire Erika is returning to the US of A after a lengthy period of making we Blitzers look organised. Hermann will be taking over Erika’s role, leaving the role of “Documenter of the Blitz Event” currently available. If you’re up for attending the blitzes, and have mastered the dark arts of stringing words together in such a way that other people like them, then get in touch!
Internationally, the efforts of Permablitz Hawaii and their partnership with @surfrideroahu to create #surfblitz and sustainable urban farming were honored by the Hawaii State Senate! Amazing to receive such glowing recognition from the Hawaiian Senate floor – truly impressive.
It’s Competition Time!
Thanks to the generosity of Permablitz Designer Guild member Terry, we have a copy of the book “Practical Self Sufficiency – an Australian guide to sustainable living” to give away.To win, just send a photo of you with the best thing you’ve grown in the last 12 months – it can be your prize tomatoes, an abundant fruit tree, your baby chicks or even shitake mushrooms. All pics will be placed in a photo album on Permablitz Melbourne’s Facebook page – the one with the most likes at the end of April will find this book in their letterbox!
You can send your pics via the Facebook page (or use the message feature if you prefer). If you’re not on Facebook, you can still enter – just email [email protected], and ensure you have “Practical Self Sufficiency comp” as your subject line.
Hero of the Month
Chilean Guava
Queen Victoria’s favorite fruit has many names: strawberry myrtle, Ugniberry, New Zealand cranberry, Tazziberry. Some call it just Ugni or Uñi. But it doesn’t really matter because this great drought tolerant shrub produces berries that are just delicious! Beautiful bell shaped white flowers convert to small red berries in autumn and are outstanding eaten raw. The leaves can also be used as tea and the seeds apparently as coffee substitute. Also try jam, jelly and muffins!
Chilean Guava
You can read more about this plant here!
Bits and Pieces
Get weedy!
It’s official – The Weed Forager’s Handbook has now sold over 10,000 copies sold! Written by none other than Permablitz-er Adam Grubb and Annie Raser-Rowland, this invaluable guide to gardener’s least favourite plants is a worthwhile addition to any permie’s library.
Northcote Pop-up Community Garden under threat
Northcote residents have created a community garden using the area of their unused car park spaces – but the Darebin Council has fined them $750 and wants it shut down. Sign the petition to show a bit of common sense and that community is more important than cars.
Seedbombing!
Learn how to make seedbombs with The Food is Free Project and start painting your community with flowers and food.
Seedbomb Recipe:
- 5 parts clay soil (sifted)
- 5 parts compost (sifted)
- 1 part organic or heirloom seeds
Mix in a bowl and add a bit of water until you can compress gumball sized pellets in the palm of your hand and let them dry for a couple days.
Toss them out anywhere you’d like to beautify with food and flowers. Consider places that don’t get mowed and they will sit dormant until the rain comes.
See seedbombing in action below!
Til next month, from the Permablitz Melbourne’s underground lair – keep on planting!
