You don't often see this many showers in Perth.

Fremantle Permaculture Designer.

I'd like to start doing some small permaculture design and consultancy jobs for people, for their gardens, preferably close to Fremantle or a train line.
I know a lot about common and less known food plants, native plants, including local species , and organic pest control is another area of knowledge. All in all, I could help people create more water and fertiliser wise gardens with more food species and habitat plants for local fauna.

Or feel free to just ask me something about growing edible and useful plants in your garden.

If anyone is interested, send an email to
vickigardening@gmail.com

I'll get back to you.

Microclimates.

You may have noticed that if you stand out of the breeze in a sun facing corner you are warmer than if you stand out in the breeze. If you have, you have already discovered microclimates.
Microclimate recognition and creation can help you to grow plants out of season; tomatoes can be started earlier in spring in a warm spot, coriander can be grown in cooler afternoon shade in summer to prevent it going to seed, and so on.
On a large scale, fruit trees that are not from your climate zone can be planted near large rocks to collect heat over the day and keep them a bit warmer overnight as the heat dissipates from the rock, or you could plant on a south side (in the southern hemisphere), to give fruit trees an extra chilling factor in warmer places (like Perth).

Water restrictions to continue in Perth.

It still hasn't rained a lot this winter. The dams are still way below capacity.
Unless it rains ridiculous amounts the dams are going to remain that way.
Thus we have sprinkler roster days.
Use of mulch and appropriate plants, together with correct planting and management means we can still have productive, beautiful gardens.
I know through my work that some people water plants that don't need it.
Automatic reticulation systems lead to gardens getting too much water. Many plants, if chosen wisely, will not need any water once established, especially if they are at the edge of a lawn that gets regular water.
Many native plants need no help once established. Some plants don't even need anything extra after their initial watering-in, even in Perth.

Bromeliads for frogs.

A fellow frog-lover was talking to me about plants that frogs like. I suggested some bromeliads; I happened to have some lying about that I wondering what to do with.
They expand so much that they need thinning back sometimes. I have too many of them these days, so I give them away intermittently..
The frogs like to lurk about in the tubes of the plant with a bit of water. Bromeliads are actually quite low water use plants. If you fill the tubes a couple of times a week when it's warm, they are quite happy. Bugs n stuff fall in there, which helps feed them. It's a good idea to let them dry out sometimes between drinks too, to stop mosquito larvae.
He was very happy with them and gave me a bag of macadamia nuts from his tree in Winthrop in return.