Permaculture Information Web

[Robyn Williamson <rz.williamson AT optusnet.com.au>]

Dear Stephanie

You should change your name to Wade Ago and write a book about 
"Positive Reinforcement".  I'm with you all the way, chere Madame.  
Latin is a dead language while permaculture/PIW is a living, dynamic, 
evolving thing.  Above all it has a positive approach and that is why I 
would like to see negative terminology such as pest, disease, weed etc. 
done away with.  Example:  most health professionals over here should 
actually be called disease professionals because they prescribe 
pharmaceuticals to cover up symptoms and that often brings on more 
problems for people to deal with.

On Sunday, February 6, 2005, at 04:02 am, Stephanie Gerson wrote:

> I suggest we approach PIW as an opportunity to create a more meaningful
> and useful taxonomy.  Sure - change the words, change the criteria
> determining whether or not plants are grouped together (for example,
> according to functional characteristics, i.e. ground cover, medicinal
> properties, nitrogen fixation).  Organize the plants according to
> information valuable for *our* purposes.
>
> This emergent taxonomy would be an incredibly valuable fruit of PIW.

Undoubtedly!

On Sunday, February 6, 2005, at 04:02 am, Heide Hermary wrote:

> I don't think plant family has a lot to do with plant properties.
> Plants are grouped into families because of similarities in their 
> flower
> structure.

>  What we might find useful today might be meaningless tomorrow,
> and vice versa.

Too true, Heidi, a perfect example is botanical taxonomy which was 
established in 1753 and is now meaningless to most people.  I do tend 
to find however that plant properties are often linked to a family 
grouping, for example pyrethrins found in the oil glands of certain 
flowers in the Asteraceae/Compositae family or nitrogen fixation in the 
case of legumes.  In any case, I'm happy to do separate searches for 
the family groupings and leave botany and the PIW database to the 
respective professionals.  Thanks for the feedback.

With best regards,
Robyn

CONTACT DETAILS:

Robyn Williamson
PDC, Urban Horticulturist
Hon Sec, Fagan Park Community Eco Garden Committee
Local Seed Network Coordinator
NORTH WESTERN SYDNEY COMMUNITY SEED SAVERS
mobile:  0409 151 435
ph/fx:  (612) 9629 3560
email:  rz.williamson AT optusnet.com.au
http://www.communityfoods.com.au
http://www.au.gardenweb.com/directory/fpceg
http://www.seedsavers.net
http://www.sydney.foe.org.au/water