An ongoing transformation of a typical suburban house into a Sustainable Homestead.

Many 'Home Improvement' TV shows will feature a landscape overhauled and planted over a weekend. Without these professional landscapers to keep it up, though, this newly landscaped yard will prove to be unsustainable. We have taken the Permaculture route of slowly creating the natural systems within our yard and home: building soil, composting, planting for shade and windbreak, using greywater and ultimately making our home work naturally with the environment. It is a fascinating path of learning and we record it all as we go.

This section is about the garden work we have done as we learn to grow food for ourselves organically. Each link to the left shows step-by-step photos of how we do what we do. This documents a constantly evolving work in progress where each season we learn from what didn't work and try new ideas. Our Journal is also a great place for up-to-date photos of the gardens.

2005	2007
2009

Permaculture is about relationships and this is what we need to consider as we plan our gardens. All plants have a particular purpose and are placed in careful relationship with other plants. Diverse plants with diverse relationships produce a “synergistic” effect, creating a thriving ecological community. We have learned valuable lessons from the study of ecosystems: intricate communities of plants, animals and microorganisms. All life depends on the cooperation and interaction of ALL species. As beneficial insects are necessary for pollination of crops, worms and microorganisms are necessary for fertile soil.

We are all connected.