BEYOND PSHB: Trees to plant
The best trees to plant are those that you know you will take care of. I have a friend who loves River Bushwillows and can’t stand the Karee. Needless to say, the bushwillows thrive under his care; the karees do not. I love both, the former for its majesty and the latter for its tree […]
Beyond PSHB: Five fun ways to favourite trees
Asking yourself what trees you would like to plant is as important as finding out what trees we as local communities should prioritise in our urban reforestation efforts. Sometimes there is an overlap between the two. Yet I do not take this for granted. Nor do I consider it the only way in which to approach […]
PSHB: Growing Resilience?
I was invited by a friend to accompany her to a site where the owners want to transition into a more extensive, self-sustaining permaculture practice. This required re-envisioning their space. The first thing I noticed were pine trees. These were the happiest pines I had ever seen. Usually their leaves are dark, sombre, and so […]
PSHB: What to do with dead trees
Your PSHB Infested Tree has died and you are heart broken. You may want to consider one of the following as a fitting farewell: It can be burnt and the ash used to sweeten acidic soil or compost It can be chipped and solarised, naturally or mechanically, and used as mulch It can […]
Rain Gardens and Patterson Park
I have made no progress in my basement water harvesting project; I am waiting for quotes before I make a final decision on the specific elements that I want on my site. One new idea is to sink a tank into the ground where I wanted the wetland pond to be. It is as though […]
TREE HIV? Borer Beetle Alert
Chopped wood lay on the ground at a school. Upon closer inspection I saw that it was infested with Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer (PSHB). There were a number of infested trees on the property. I spoke to the principal this morning who was unaware of the infestation – the trees had fallen during a storm […]
Wetlands and Climate Change
“World Wetlands Day is celebrated every year on the 2nd of February to raise global awareness on the value of wetlands for humanity and the planet. Theme of this year’s edition is Wetlands and Climate Change. It has been chosen to initiate action against the drainage of wetlands.” Exciting things are on the way in […]
Urban Wetland Water Harvesting and Disposal
My house is built on a wetland. I was excited by having an additional source of water in my basement so the reality of living on a wetland did not quite penetrate. I moved in in winter so had no idea what summer would be like. This summer has seen great downpours that sometimes flooded […]