The #1 Secret to Successful Vegie Gardening

Robyn Francis shares tips in this FREE PDF Autumn Planting Guide to create a productive garden to eat through the pandemic lock down Apart from good soil, compost and sufficient sunlight, the most important thing to ensure a successful, productive vegie garden is to plant what likes to grow in each season.  Planting things at …

Report from IPC in India 2017

Robyn Francis with Vananda Shiva at IPC India

It was 30 years ago that I accompanied Bill Mollison to India to teach the first full Permaculture Design Course (PDC) there in 1987. This year I returned to India to honour the anniversary as a keynote speaker at the 13th International Permaculture Conference (IPC), held in Hyderabad, and as lead teacher of the IPC-PDC. …

Global Permaculture Events in India Nov 2017

Permaculture in India

IPC-13 in INDIA Nov 25-Dec 2 Time to gather again has come: Aranya Agricultural Alternatives is excited to welcome you in India this year for the 13th International Permaculture Convergence (IPC) scheduled from November 25 to December 2, 2017 in Hyderabad, Telangana. Happening every two years since 1985, IPCs are 100% solution focused events drawing the …

Polly Update #2 Justice not vengeance

Much has happened over the past few days. Polly has been steadily improving, though today she suffered a relapse – more on this later. We are heartened to see her faith in human kindness being restored with all the love and caring attention she’s been receiving. The Summer Solstice on the evening of Wednesday 21st …

Bill Mollison – a giant tree has fallen in the forest of humanity

Robyn Francis reflects on her memories of Bill Mollison, teacher, mentor, friend… Bill Mollison, co-creator of the permaculture concept and founder of the movement, passed away in Hobart, Tasmania on the evening of September 24, 2016. For many it felt like a giant old growth tree in the forest had fallen. Since then tributes have …

Farmers of Hong Kong

More than a concrete jungle, Hong Kong boasts almost 550 organic farms: traditional family farms, small enterprise farms and over 300 educational and leisure farms. Leisure farms are a variation on community gardens that rent out garden plots to urban dwellers, known as ‘weekend farmers’, and are operated as small social enterprises rather than as …

Bamboo in Permaculture with Robyn Francis

Robyn Francis in Buddha-belly bamboo clump

I love Bamboo; growing, eating, crafting, building, and listening to the sounds of creaking culms and rustling leaves in the wind. It provides me with microclimates, windbreaks, privacy screens, animal fodder, wildlife habitat, an endless supply of mulch, delicious tender eating shoots, an abundance of materials for the garden and building small structures, and sequesters …