Hi there, New member

[Bad 80's Perm]

Hello from sydney, Australia.

I've been browsing through these forums for a few days now and i have to say this looks to be a great, a wealth of information and a friendly, knowledgable community. Needless to say im happy to be onboard.

A bit about myself, Im a 80's child, approaching 30 years old and have interests in gardening, mycology, self sufficiency, ecology and the environment.
I have just moved into a rental place with my partner in sydneys innerwest which i plan on staying in for at least a few years while we both complete our work and study commitments. Then, if everything goes according to plan, we will be moving out of the city and onto a much bigger property.

Being in a rental house there is a limit to how much permaculture i can amount of permanent changes i can make are limited and the scale is very small.

But i do think i can work out a system that works for my current situation. keeping in my mind my current limitations and the need to relocate sometime in the next few years. I will be doing as much gardening in my yard as possible and incoorperating as many permaculture designs as seem practical.
Sustainability and reducing my impact on the environment are very important to me!!

Thats enough of an intro. I'm sure ill be bugging you all for advice, and sharing my successes and failures soon enough.

Glad to be onboard

[Michaelangelica]

Welcome aboard Bad 80's

A bit about myself, Im a 60's child, approaching 100 years old and have interests in gardening, mycology, self sufficiency, ecology and the environment
never have got the mycology together though; also interested in herbs and useful plants.
Actually not really that interested in Gardening just enough to keep my latest plants alive.

I am sure you will make lots of good friends here

[eco4560]

Sometimes working within restrictions can be a positive as it forces you to find solutions that are new and exciting. And having a small space means you can really be on top of each area individually. Welcome on board and enjoy the company.

[permup]

Bad,

Love your sign-on name. You should have seen me in the 80's! Big, big hair. Ahh, the memories.

Anyway, some things to think about re your rental perming up. Think about using lots of deep polystyrene trays (with holes), all pressed together. They insulate the soil really well, and you don't get all the gaps you get with round pots. They fit anywhere too. Use lots of height with trellises for climbing plants, and shelving. Have a look at some of the verticle garden products around. Benefits are that you use space so incredibly well, and really reduce water waste, as runoff from above waters the plants below.

There are also some great designs using polypipe and pots with wicks in them to draw moisture up. Just a trip to the hardware and a bit of time, and you've got a great way to grow stuff with such little water, and no water waste.

Make sure you keep a worm farm or one of those nice indoor compost buckets to generate enough fertiliser for your endeavours, and try to keep some bowls or fish tanks of water to add enough to your system to attrack beneficial insects. This will reduce the amount of pest control you will need.

All the very best, and enjoy your food!

Paula.

[Bad 80's Perm]

Hey thanks for the replies.

Hair is never getting better than it was in the 80's, History might repeat itself but it definatley cant top perfection.

I am fortunate enough to have aquired two tumbling compost bins i will rotate, once the first ones full that is. Ill get a pair of chickens too and have plans to build an anaerobic digester to run a bbq.
If the combination of those three stretches the waste supply of just a couple there is a shopping centre not 5 mins away that i can raid the dumpsters for fruit and vege scraps (and edibles).

There is a patch of banana trees down the back ive harvested about 40kg of bananas from since moving in, and theres still 3 large bunches hanging that arent ready yet.
The trees are a real mess, quite neglected, i know your supposed to remove dead banana leaves and trees as they die and it doesnt look like this has ever been done here, hopefully the leaves will mulch in a 40gallen drum with the wipper snipper and ill use it as mulch, apparently it discourages nematodes as well, anyone have any experience with this?

The yard is also Home to a lemon tree that is absolutley coverd in little rock hard lemon, the yard was very run down when i moved in and i believe that it has received very little water and nutrients whilst they developed. I have given em some ferts and been watering them but it doesnt look like they will come good, If anyone has any advice on this it would be much appreciated.

Ill update with some pics of what ive done so far and turn this page into my blog as the project progresses.