Bee Sustainable

As my opening lines on this blog are .... without the buzzards and bees where would we all bee .... seems fitting to mention this great shop in 500 Lygon St Brunswick East. called Bee Sustainable, owned by Robert Redpath.

Stocks all manner of bee keeping equipment, products of the hive including a wide array of honeys,  and equipment for domestic food production, plus a plethora of home sustainability books, and gifts. With all the aromatherapy oils in home made soap, and the scent of the beeswax candles you feel like you've left the Garden of Eden, as you exit. They also run workshops concerned with domestic sustainability such as the art of bee keeping, and sourdough bread making.

At that top end of Lygon St precinct there are other seemingly top establishments concerned with sustainability including a couple of organic grocers, a yoga lab, and a vegan meals destination - Vege To Go, Melbourne Food Ingredient depot, plus a vintage bazaar. This strip of shops would rival other shopping strips for having the most shopping options concerned with sustainability, by a long shot!

Rotating houses and increased amenity

Was out having a coffee yesterday and happened to stumble on this article about a rotating house being constructed in Canberra, which allows for a change of view, and it occurred to me what a good idea this was from a few different perspectives (pardon the rotating house pun). If you have trees around your property it allows for you to adjust the amenity of  shading at a particular time of day. It enables passive solar elements as well as charging up the photovoltaics.

If the property had extended eaves or an overhang this could also help with produce plant shading at hotter times of the day. Particularly useful for those practicing crop rotation.

Apparently the energy use involved in operating the rotation is that of a typical light bulb.

The world of design is an exciting phenomenon in this world of climate challenges! These houses are getting more common overseas.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/efficient-design-follows-sun-in-roundabout-way-20121114-29cpq.html

Outdoors Rooms and Evicting the Upper Class

I was listening in on my Sustainable Produce Gardens class recording, and I found out something interesting. The microorganisms in our soil which break down organic matter and release nutrients in to the soil which are so important for plant growth tend to hang out in the "upper echelons" of the top-soil. Yes, indeed, they are truly refined,  high-class dudes.  Our teacher said that 75 per cent of these little critters hang about in the top 5 centimetres of our soil. This is why you hear people talking about the importance of protecting the top-soil.  

So when planning your Outdoor Room, consider keeping as much softscape as possible, to minimise the impact on these little fellas.

Recapping why Gardens vs extensive built structures

Summary of why gardens are golden:

• filtration function - ground-water, storm-water and CO2 sink
• oxygen giving benefits
• soil and environmental health -  gardens protect top-soil and ground water: help avoid compaction, erosion, contamination
• birds, beetles, bees, ants and bees play an important role in  the biosphere
• shade, urban heat island, wind-break benefits
• productive benefits (eggs via chooks, growing vegetables, fruit)
• reduced need for resources from old growth habitats, and reduced waste compared with outdoor structures  
• non C02 intensive, provided lawns and hedges are kept small  (large hedges require oil powered machinery to maintain).
• horticulture therapy - connectedness to nature, the cycle of life and the seasons
• fitness benefits and Vitamin D!
• cost-effectiveness - outdoor structures come at a high price

 These benefits are all potentially lost when extensive outdoor structures are built and substantially replace the garden.

 Tips for building Outdoor Spaces sustainably

•  Build small rather than big.  
• Ask yourself: Is your Outdoor Room going to substantially do away with a garden?  See first half of this blog as to why gardens are vital!
• Opt for permeable surfaces over non-permeables.  
• Don't build if the product is sourced from existing habitats, eg sourced from coupes illegally logged or active waterways
• Think about the economics, before you act.  Are you investing in a fad?   
• Chose plants that attract pollinators.
• Protect, nourish (with compost) and conserve the top-soil (sediment control/erosion/soil biota).      

One more list

Wow, I'm really on a roll. This is my second blog for today! And this is another list to add to the last one. Oh dear, us greenies really love our lists don't we!

When keeping it real in the garden, I suggest you always bear in mind these dot points:

1. Air/Plant/Soil Protection (Contamination, Erosion, Compaction)
2. Stormwater (diverting away from drains to raingarden, standard garden, rainwater tank)
3. Biodegradability and reusability and recyclability of materials to avoid waste
4. Reduction in use of resources overall
5. Shade/Wind/Ventilation/Heat Island effect - permaculture aspects
6. Maintenance and overall social sustainability 
7. Companion planting (like conditions for like), appropriateness and longevity of plants
8. Do plants require fertilisation, pest treatment at regular intervals etc?
9. Habitats, habitats, habitats 
10. Watch out for environmental weeds which are our second most serious problem, aside from land-clearing. 

And that's all I can think of today.