Permaculture Magazine

Contents

ISSUE 55 Spring 2008
- current issue -

Inside this issue:

EDITORIAL
Maddy Harland discusses the relationship between sustainability, culture and time.

THE ROAD TO ZERO CARBON BRITAIN
Paul Allen explains the urgent case for national and international action on climate change and presents a coherent national plan for Britain.

TURNING DOWN THE HEAT
After Paul Allen’s article, Patrick Whitefield looks at practical actions we can take as individuals to reduce global warming.

SPREAD THE PERMACULTURE WORLD
We have 100 FREE online subscriptions to give away to deserving causes. Step right this way!

NOTES FROM A SMALL GARDEN Part One
Small garden, big permaculture ideas?!
Wade Muggleton shows you how to create an inexpensive edible Eden.

ON A LEARNING CURVE
Newcomers to permaculture, Jennifer & Micheál Tuite, describe two simple low cost garden projects to help create a happy space to relax in when the sun shines.

UNSUNG HERO
Cork may not be the height of fashion but Jenny Lunnon explains why it is such a sustainable building material.

TALES FROM THE COPSE
Ben Law describes the timeless art of coppicing and gives tips on his most useful and favourite woodland tools.

PERMACULTURE PEOPLE
Woodlanders, Ele & Anthony Waters, describe how a series of meetings with permaculturists gave them the courage to live their dreams.

POWER FROM THE PEOPLE
How political will and entrepreneurial spirit can transform a country’s capacity to generate renewable electricity, by Anna Blackaby.

FARM FOR THE FUTURE
Permaculture student, Jude Dunn, visits a successful small farm where nature takes the lead with stunning results.

THERMAL MASS HEATERS
With the end of cheap oil upon us, Bert Bruins introduces the most efficient and cleanest of woodburners – the kacheloven.

URBAN ADVENTURING
How to discover the fascinating treasures hidden in our urban landscapes on two wheels, with Marcus James Whitehead.

Plus: Product Reviews, Permaculture News, GEN News, Letters, Solutions, Book Reviews, Course Listings and Classifieds.

Permaculture Magazine No. 54

Winter 2007

EDITORIAL
Maddy Harland discusses the rise of Greening campaigns and how they are engaging the public in the South of England.

REDIBLE GARDENING FOR THE SENSES
Ru Litherland describes how to integrate edible flowers into a productive garden and also make it a commercial success for a box system.

WHAT FUTURE FOR TRADITIONAL FARMING?
Julian Rose explains why keeping small mixed farms alive is vital for all our futures and explains why Poland holds so much promise.

CRAFTING AN ALTERNATIVE YULE
Learn how to make your own seasonal decorations for a more creative and grounded Yule with Glennie Kindred.

THE OUTDOOR PERMACULTURE CLASSROOM
A forest garden can be a richly multifunctional and diverse edible learning space for schools! Dave Richards explains why.

NATURAL INSULATION
An expanding family prompts woodsman, Ben Law, to extend his celebrated woodland house and test out the new range of ecological insulation on the market.

PLANTING HOPE IN KENYA
With relentless devastation becoming a norm in Kenya, Laurie Childers describes how one group are transforming their landscape into an economically and ecologically viable oasis.

PERMACULTURE PEOPLE
Read about the unusual and very useful life of travelling teacher and volunteer, Tomas Remiarz.

THE REBEL FARMER Part Two
Leila Dregger explains the principles behind the work of Sepp Holzer, one of the world’s greatest permaculturists and aquaculture specialist.

THE POWER OF COMMUNITY
Are ecovillagers really green? Jonathan Dawson investigates the eco-footprints of two communities in New York State and Scotland.

THE LADY’S SLIPPER, THE FAT BABY
& THE EXPLODING CUCUMBER
An irresistible plant profile of Achocha byEmma Cooper!

GEOMANCY & PERMACULTURE
Alanna Moore introduces geomancy and explains why it is an ideal partner for permaculture design.

Plus: Product Reviews, Permaculture News, GEN News, Letters, Solutions, Book Reviews, Course Listings and Classifieds.

Permaculture Magazine No. 53

AUTUMN 2007

EDITORIAL
Maddy Harland discusses the problems and potential permaculture solutions to the recent flooding in the UK. She goes on to look at how other countries like Brazil have overcome similar problems.

THE DRIVE TOWARDS PEAK OIL
Rob Hopkins introduces us to the Transition Movement, in which local people are working to wean towns, cities, even regions, off fossil fuels, and planning sustainable communities.

THE REBEL FARMER
Leila Dregger introduces Sepp Holzer, pioneering permaculture farmer, who pushes the boundaries of climate and culture to create abundant landscapes.

WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD?
PM suggests... Step One: Inspire and engage your community and start your own film club.

STOVE OF YOUR DREAMS
Steve James explains how to turn unused paving slabs into a beautiful fast-burn, efficient masonry stove that costs very little!

GARDENING FROM ZERO
Robert Alcock describes how he made a dockside urban container garden out of scrap and also shares his DIY tyre planter secrets with us!

AFTER THE TSUNAMI, THE PERMACULTURE
Stuart Coles describes an inspiring field school that is helping to heal lives ravaged by the Tsunami and turns guerilla soldiers into gardeners and community workers.

PERMACULTURE PEOPLE
Introducing Sarah Pugh who is part of the team which is working to transform Bristol in Britain’s first low carbon Transition City.

ROOF TOP OASIS REVISITED
Emma Cooper revisits a magnificent roof garden in the middle of a city and discovers a thriving edible haven for children and adults.

THE RETURN OF THE NATIVE
Mary Lewis reports on the resurgence of traditional woodland skills and the return of the ‘woodsman’, both male and female.

THE PEE IN PERMACULTURE
How to use this abundant natural resource full of minerals and conserve water in your garden by Alanna Moore.

LESSONS FROM A BRITTLE LANDSCAPE
With the world turning to desert at the rate of 400,000 acres a day, how we cultivate dry and brittle landscapes is ever more essential. Aspen Edge shares experiences from Spain.

Plus: Product Reviews, Permaculture News, GEN News, Letters, Solutions, Book Reviews, Course Listings and Classifieds.

Permaculture Magazine No. 52

SUMMER 2007

EDITORIAL
Maddy Harland discusses the parallels between the peace movement and being a climate change activist and stresses the value and importance of developing and communicating grassroot solutions rather than focussing exclusively on the problems and corporate technological fixes.

PAINT
Maddy Harland discovers how to choose, use and make natural paint.

LIVE EARTH
We preview the event and look at what you can do to make a difference once the music is over and the dancing has stopped.

CARE IN THE COMMUNITY
Ashley Walker presents an innovative solution to institutional daycare that also engages the wider community.

HOW TO MAKE A MEDICINE HERB WHEEL
Maureen and Keith Robertson explain how to design and plan a medicine herb garden.

WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS
The story of how Rachel Shiamh fulfilled her dream to build her own house even though she had no previous experience and not much of a budget.

COHOUSING
Alan Heeks introduces cohousing and how it can radically reduce your carbon footprint – and make you happy too.

CHILDREN & COHOUSING
Hildur Jackson describes the positive effects of this 40 year experiment and how it all began.

PERMACULTURE PEOPLE
Graham Burnett tell us why permaculture can so effectively turn a problem into a solution.

LIVING WELL BEYOND THE GRID
Microgeneration from low flow technology proves it’s easy to make electricity from very little water... plus DIY ram pumps explained.

AFTER THE FLOOD
Starhawk talks to Maddy Harland, describing how permaculture design has enriched her life and speaks about her work in New Orleans.

CAUCASIAN SPINACH
Stephen Barstow introduces a rare perennial plant from the cool temperate North. Abundant and shade tolerant, it may become a forest garden favourite.

5,000 YEARS OF TRADITIONAL AGROFORESTRY
Ed Hamer explains how a millennia of practice has created a beautiful and productive edible landscape in the Mexican cloud forests.

Plus: Product Reviews, Permaculture News, GEN News, Letters, Solutions, Book Reviews, Course Listings and Classifieds.

Permaculture Magazine No. 51

SPRING 2007

EDITORIAL
Maddy Harland discusses the power of personal actions to change the world and the emerging shift in awareness that is bringing climate change into sharp focus in the industrialised North.

HARMONY IN THE CITY
Liz Astle introduces us to an inner city project where people are happy and thriving.

DIY RAINWATER HARVESTING
How to convert your downstairs toilet from mains water to a rainwater flushing system, by Klaus Muecher Erskine.

RAISED VEGETABLE GARDENING
Part Two of Patrick Whitefield’s article explaining how to design and make a very productive system for food growing.

ECO-RETROFITTING IN THE CITY
Jenny Lunnon visits Dr Averil Stedeford’s award winning eco-renovated city house.

A PASSION FOR THE WILD
How Marc Carlton transformed his garden into a beautiful haven for wildlife in the city.

HOW TO MAKE A HOUSE FOR SOLITARY BEES
Marc Carlton shows you how to encourage useful pollinators into our gardens with this simple DIY project.

POST OIL & PERMACULTURE
Author and visionary, Richard Heinberg, speaks to Rob Hopkins about permaculture’s role in creating a post fossil fuel society.

PERMACULTURE PEOPLE
How author, Glennie Kindred, and her family have greened their lives.

CUTTING THE CARBS
Rebecca Johns compares family life in town and country and makes a big move.

STONE AGE SCIENCE
Dylan Keating explores the global implications of rock dust and explains why applying it in our gardens can transform our crops.

FIGHTING FUEL POVERTY WITH FAIRNESS
An energy supplier with a conscience? Maddy Harland investigates.

PLANNING A WOODLAND
Chris Smaje describes how he and his family planned and planted a small woodland in their out of town field.

A GREEN ROOF
Inspired by an article by Maddy Harland in PM37, Klaudia van Gool describes how she made a simple and inexpensive green roof.

Plus: Product Reviews, Permaculture News, GEN News, Letters, Solutions, Book Reviews, Course Listings and Classifieds.

Permaculture Magazine No. 50

POWERDOWN & PERMACULTURE
Rob Hopkins asks how permaculture can influence the mainstream and introduces Transition Town Totnes.

WAR GARDENING
How living history is teaching kids to grow food in Essex by Graham Burnett.

PM BUSINESS
Maddy Harland, tells the story of Permanent Publications and the permaculture design thinking behind the company.

RAISED VEGETABLE GARDENING
How to design and make productive raised beds by Patrick Whitefield.

SOMETHING FOR NOTHING
Introducing Freecycle, the free community exchange system that really works.

10 STRATEGIES FOR AVOIDING BURN OUT
Working hard and feeling the pace? How to stay healthy and effective with Dr Chris Johnstone.

TRANSITION CULTURE
Fritjof Capra speaks to Rob Hopkins about learning how to live in an uncertain future.

EDUCATION IN THE JUNGLE
Jennifer Gray visits a Krishnamurti school in Tamil Nadu and explores its green credentials.

PERMACULTURE PEOPLE
Introducing Dr Jimmy Altham, permaculturist and former university lecturer in philosophy.

A FEW ACRES IN THE COUNTRY
Chris Smaje describes how his family cleverly integrated the advantages of town and country.

THE MAGICAL SOILS OF EL DORADO
The story of Terra Preta, the highly fertile self-sustaining ‘black earth’ of the Amazon.

FAR FROM WOOLLY THINKING
How one PM article has launched a new social enterprise in rural Somerset.

EXTREME SALADS
One man’s quest to grow as many edible salad plants as he can near the Arctic Circle in Norway.

GROWING POSITIVE YOUNG ADULTS
Sami Grover reports on a permaculture project that is changing young lives in down town Durham, North Carolina.

Permaculture Magazine No. 49

PUTTING MY HOUSE IN ORDER
Green auditor, Donnachadh McCarthy, describes the joys and pitfalls of installing renewable energy.

A VERY ORDINARY HOUSE
Wade Muggleton shares tips on how he did the DIY eco-renovation of his ex-council house with recycled materials.

MAKE YOUR OWN TRIPLE COMPOST BIN
John Adams explains how to build an excellent composting system out of scrap.

FROM OVERWHELM TO ENGAGEMENT
Learn how to turn fear for the future into positive, balanced action.

WHAT TO DO WITH OIL DRUMS...
Rob Hopkins shows how creative permaculture-style DIY can be.

LET THE WATERS FLOW & THE FRUITS GROW
How an arid landscape is being lovingly restored in southern Portugal.

PERMACULTURE & PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Sarah Irving reports on permaculture projects in this troubled region.

PERMACULTURE PEOPLE
Be inspired by two permaculturists who have created a rich and enjoyable existence.

AUTUMN FORAGING
More seasonal food from the wild (with sumptious pictures!) from Steve Andrews.

EATS FRUIT & LEAVES
Ann Stanier describes how she and her husband made a traditional orchard viable with Community Supported Agriculture.

YE OLDE CIDER CLUB
Make merry with Nottingham’s community cider club at Hungerhill allotments.

BEDZED & FINDHORN
Jonathan Dawson takes a tour and compares two very different eco-communities.

BEING WHERE YOU ARE
Gene Marshall explains why bioregionalism is a key to ecological and planetary harmony.

Permaculture Magazine No. 48

THE REALITY OF BEING GREEN ON REALITY TV
With 3.4 million people watching ‘It’s Not Easy Being Green’ on BBC2, Brigit Strawbridge tells us about the reality of reality TV!

THE TALE OF A BACK GARDEN MICRO FARM
Even a small piece of land can be made highly productive with careful planning. Wade Muggleton explains how.

HOW TO BUILD A LOW-COST HOT TUB
A quick and easy way to build your own outdoor tub so you can lie back and relax, by Paulina Wojciechowska.

LIVING IN INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY
Kate McEvoy describes the pros and cons of life in a low impact community in Wales.

MAKE YOUR OWN ENERGY EFFICIENT FIREPLACE
Adam Weismann and Katy Bryce tell you how to make a fireplace based on the principles of eighteenth century authority, Count Rumford.

NEW HOPE FOR AIDS ORPHANS IN KENYA
Laurie F. Childer reports on a model perma-culture village which offers orphans a chance to live with elders in community.

PERMACULTURE PEOPLE
Meet Looby Macnamara who describes how permaculture has changed her life for the better – the first of a new inspiring series.

SUMMER FORAGING
Find sumptuous seasonal food from the wild with Steve Andrews.

VEGAN RUSTIC COOKING FOR ALL SEASONS
Diana White shares some of her delicious summer vegan recipes.

NATIVE LANDSCAPING
Mark Fisher’s innovative permaculture design at the Ecology Building Society’s new headquarters.

BIODIESEL FUTURES
Is biodiesel the Holy Grail or another green-wash solution? Laura Streith investigates.

GOING LOCAL
David Fleming explains why relocalising will be an economic as well as environmental necessity and what we can do to prepare.-The Reality Of Being Green On Reality TV

Permaculture Magazine No. 47

THE ART OF SLOW GARDENING
Graham Burnett compares TV makeover gardens to permaculture design.

HOW TO LAY AN EARTHEN FLOOR
Learn the art of making beautiful earthen floors, the natural alternative to concrete, with Adam Weismann & Katy Bryce.

ZONES 4 U
Ru Litherland explores the many ways we can graze the urban jungle for food and resources!

THE PERMACULTURE OF PENSIONS
A creative look at how pensions of the future could ignore the Footsie 100 and invest in the community with Jonathan Dawson.

WALKING YOUR TALK
Rebecca Laughton examines the challenges of balancing your ecological principles with hard work and personal health.

A BEDTIME STORY
Learn how to make an organic wool duvet that will last for life with Stuart Anderson.

ANOTHER BEDTIME STORY
Our very own John Adams explains how a simple rag rug tech-nique can be adapted to make wonderful rugs and
underblankets.

A SEED OF HOPE IN A CIVIL WAR
In war torn Colombia a peace village is being born with perma-culture design. It may save many lives. Leila Dregger explains.

YES IT IS ROCKET SCIENCE!
Jeremy Roth shares 25 years of practical research into building smokeless wood fuelled cookers for use the world over.

A VERY PRIVATE GARDEN
Visit a secret garden in warm and windy Scotland on Holy Island with Alec and Dolkar.

ARE ECOVILLAGES A SOLUTION
TO THE COMING ENERGY FAMINE?
With Peak Oil on the near horizon, Jonathan Dawson provides valuable critical analysis.

AZTEK TERRACES
Max Lindegger finds traces of an ancient civilisation that is being revived in Mexico.

THE CRASH
Patrick Whitefield reflects on climate change, galloping consumerism and the value of permaculture.

Permaculture Magazine No. 46

UNDERSTANDING PEAK OIL
Oil geologist, Colin Campbell, demystifies the science and politics of Peak Oil.

THE END OF SUBURBIA
OR THE BEGINNING OF MAINSTREAM PERMACULTURE?
David Holmgren explores the potential for co-operative edible neighbourhoods of the future.

10 THINGS TO DO
Rob Hopkins recommends some simple steps to get ready for a post-carbon future.

MAKE A MEAL OF IT!
Jo Duff shows us how to create meaningful meal times and celebrate the harvest every day.

WINTER FORAGING
Finding tasty treats in the wintery woods and verges couldn’t be easier with Steve Andrews.

THE HYDRO-ELECTRIC THEATRE
Jenny Lunnon experiences a performance where the star of the show is a waterwheel.

AFTER THE FLOOD, THE FOREST
How grassroot treeplanters are transforming a landscape and making their community resilient to flooding by Tomas Remiarz.

HOW TO MAKE A BIO-TIME DIARY
Mark seasonal changes with this simple idea and deepen your connection with the Earth.

ASK THE ANCESTORS
Max Lindegger describes how farmers use bio-time in Thailand.

HOW FISH CAN SAVE THE RAINFOREST
Paulo Mellett describes an aquaculture project that demonstrates permaculture at its best!

THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX
Patrick Whitefield visits a smallholder in Wales who manages his land creatively.

COMMUNITY GARDENING IN THE CITY
The tale of an urban haven where local people can gather and learn new skills by Will Lenton.

MEETINGS AS RITUAL
Beatrice Briggs returns with some useful advice for productive, successful meetings.

ALCHEMY & THE COMING OF WINTER
Glennie Kindred explains how alchemy can help us learn and grow through the seasons.