permaculture

[April Sampson-Kelly <askpv@ozemail.com.au>]

>I am getting a lot of insults in uk.rec.gardening because I
>dared to suggest that there was no need to use chemicals 
>in the garden. 
well a lot of jobs and more likely a lot of arrogance/superiority of the
educated (dare I suggest this as I do have too many letters after my name)
are at stake when we suggest a simple way to do things.
I muck about a bit like an Aussie larikin and this gives people the 
opportunity
to think "She's simple, that's why she likes simple things."

>I make compost but am always trying to improve it. 
I no longer make compost for three main reasons.
1.  compost is a waste of mulching material
2. compost attracts and breeds fruit fly and I am battling this year after 
year
organically, it nearly has me turning to chemicals I tell you!
3. I have worms in a polystrene box, they like fibrous composting
materials for bedding  - they take a lot less patience
than a good brew of compost, they eat everything that the hens and ducks 
wouldn't eat.  The resultant fertilizer is like black gold and great as a seed
raising mix. AND Worms will eat weed seed, weed tubers etc whereas compost 
will 
nurture our weeds/weed seed.

I know the art of composting gives a lot people a fun pastime,
so I am only talking about what is relevant to us and our situation.
>What
>sort of gardening do you do? 
I do permaculture, I am now over 30 and too busy -
I need my exercise to have productivity
and I like my work to build into long term goals.
I love gardening but I like it more when I can eat it
and it tastes great.
Where are you in Oz? 
south of Sydney a little North-west of Lake Illawarra, in a village called
Mt Kembla - I have a home page which is growing and growing
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~askpv/index.html
I
learned my gardening from my father and grandfather,
he came to the UK from Oz!

rgds

Colin Shaw