Coogee community garden on the way

Coogee community gardeners, the design team and Mayor Matson Last Sunday we held a design workshop on the proposed community garden site along Dolphin Street, Coogee, about 400 metres from Coogee Beach. Beth Kalin, an architect in my office, had drawn up some concepts and Nathan Kelly, who is studying the sociology of food, met the Coogee locals on site where some gardening and conversations were had.  The Mayor of Randwick Council, Murray Matson, was there, too, and a fine discussion... Read More

Waste doco that includes Chippo in Flickerfest

The new short film documentary, Waste Not, will have it’s world premier at the Flickerfest in Sydney in January and the programme guide on the festival web page says: ‘Waste Not Australia Directed By Ruth Hessey What keeps a 21st Century metropolis like Sydney clean and sparkling? Even as we hover on the brink of a monumental eco-catastrophe, an army of truck drivers, scientists, environmentalists, gardeners and even a famous chef are working to transform the mountains... Read More

Chippo to be a trial demonstration suburb

On Monday night Sydney City Council resolved: RECOMMENDATION It is resolved that: (A) Myrtle Street and the surrounding areas, Chippendale, be used by the City as a demonstration site to showcase sustainable street technologies and programs; (B) a detailed plan for the site be developed over the next six months, for funding consideration in the 2011/12 budget; (C) the Chief Executive Officer negotiate an agreement with Mr Michael Mobbs under which he will provide technical advice,... Read More

Mulch bin mulched

Mulcher and mulch bin Empty mulch bin Fresh mulch on road garden Yesterday a private mulching business came and mulched our road mulch free of charge. John from Treescapes (tel 9519 4790) donated his machinery, labour and his time to turn our bin of garden waste into mulch. In about 20 minutes we had the whole bin mulched and put around the road garden plants. John has said he’ll come back anytime to mulch our garden waste because he loves what we’re doing.  And... Read More

Special tours Sydney’s Sustainable House – Saturday 19 September 2015

Tour Fact Sheet – Sydney’s Sustainable House and Chippendale Road Gardens A house tour in September 2013   Special tours Click here for all Tour enquiries I’m giving a house tour on Saturday 19   September  2015;          cost $15 per person. Start 1130 (arrive by 1125, please), finish 1230.   To celebrate the publication of the second edition of the book, Sustainable House, and my new book, Sustainable Food - and to make the information about... Read More

Gardening as a frolic

At the end of the morning: L to R: Xavier, Norman, Colin, Charles and potato sacks New mulch crate, Rose St Well, such a frolic in the gentle, caressing rain this morning. About ten or more of us. We found a new mulch crate that Kris alerted me to.  I went with John and together we took it to Rose street and half-filled it with branches and things which won’t compost.  The photos shows it; lovely, almost stylish (?) and made for the site.  It’s a left over crate... Read More

Food boxes report

I’m a volunteer City Cousin for Sydney Food Connect and locals come to my place each Wednesday to collect their fruit and vegie boxes. The October Newsletter contains the monthly report on food miles, how much of our money went to the farmers and sales; here it is: Impact last month Every box from Food Connect works very hard for a better world and over the month of September the social and environmental impact has been: Households/week: 320 City Cousins: 25 Price to farmers:... Read More

Trees do furnish a street

A beautiful tree centred street, Surry Hills Mulberry tree and fruit, Surry Hills Here are two beautiful streets I walked down today in Surry Hills. One has trees down the middle. One is blessed with a banquet of mulberries some of which I picked and ate . . . mmmm.  Read More

From blokes in bee swarm to ravished garlic bed

These are a few of my favourite (recent) things; pics of things gardening brings to one . . . An excellent bush pick good for bush regen Bob in charge of the property next door Bob in the property next door where, as we can see here, she is Absolutely In Charge there, too. Bob dug up The Chook Whisperer's Garlic Here, Bob has overplayed her hand.  Well, her claws, really.  Following this travesty, when most of the garlic was rooted out after months of growth (apparently... Read More

Bob Carr to launch 2nd Ed Sustainable House book

Some 14 years after the then Premier Bob Carr launched Sydney’s Sustainable House by pulling the knob on a front loading clothes washing machine, Bob will return to the house to launch the second edition of my book, Sustainable House. In the 14 years that’ve passed over 1.5 million litres of sewage has been kept in the tiny back garden, and over 1.4 million litres of dam water has been left in the dam.  We’ve been drinking rain water here in the city all that... Read More