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What to plant in July around Sydney (temperate zone)

July means winter around here (it’s still hard for me to get used to this), so we are looking at winter crops of mostly roots and thick leafy greens. July’s list is similar to what to plant in June, except as the cold rainy days move in, more tender vegetables move out. June’s list featured 12 brave winter vegetables, where as July brings in only 9. Oh well, we could be under layers of snow, I suppose :).

1. Beetroot

Descanso Gardens - Autumn 2009
Descanso Gardens – Autumn 2009 by Rockin Robin

Where: Sow in garden
Harvest: from August – September

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From Etsy with Love: Showcase of 21 Amazing Etsy Works Inspired by Nature

Data Migration
'Data Migration' by jeremymiranda

It’s not always about doing it yourself…by “it” I mean our hard work at being sustainable and Earth-friendly. From ancient times, humans have been most successful and prosperous when living in healthy communities. We are no exception. But the beauty of modern high-tech world is that we can be connected with an extended community of like-minded individuals available to us, whether they are next door or on another continent. Think Flickr, Facebook, Etsy…

You’ve probably already heard of Etsy, but if you haven’t then go, NOW! Etsy is probably one of my favourite things about the 21st century. With thousands of talented artists just a click away, Etsy is the essence of “direct sale” from producer to consumer.

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Articles Food Galleries Get Inspired Get PermaCultured Kitchen Gardens Plants

What to plant in June: 12 easy-to-grow vegetables to plant around Sydney (temperate zone)

It’s beginning of winter in Sydney, but planting in the garden continues. Below is a list of cool-season vegetables that can be planed June. I received this list in a newsletter from Gardenate and then enhanced it by adding photos and my own tips.

1. Cabbage (Brassica oleracea)

cabbage
cabbage by flora.cyclam
Where: grow in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks
Harvest: August – October

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The Missing Link: 15 Multifunctional Plants Missing From Conventional Gardens

When we think of food gardens, we often envision neat rows of tomato and cucumber plants waiting to be harvested. While those plants are definitely rightful citizens of kitchen gardens, growing food plants in isolation from other natural inhabitants is inefficient. When we plant a single kind of crop over large areas (called monoculture), we make the plants and soil vulnerable to pest invasions, drought and depletion. Instead, the goal is to create eco-systems in which each plant fulfils multiple functions and supports the other plants. These functions include attracting beneficial insects, deterring pests, enriching the soils and keeping moisture in.

Many of the plants below are found in the wild and are even considered to be “weeds”! Actually, weeds are really just plants that are “unwanted” in a particular area, rather than placed there by design. The key is to learn the different functions of plants and to create synergistic relationships between them. Whatever needs are fulfilled by the plants themselves, that’s the work that the gardener does not have to do.

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Galleries Get Inspired Mushrooms / Fungi

The Lovely Mushroom: 32 Stunning Photographs of Fungi

After watching Paul Stamets’ documentary on the transformational power of fungi, I have a whole new appreciation for this being we call “mushroom”. If you think about, mushrooms have been with us for centuries. Indigenous people have used “magic mushrooms” in their ceremonies and rituals. Today, thousands of people travel to Amsterdam every year to partake in this ancient (and fun!) practice.

But there is more. People stranded in the woods often survive eating mushrooms and berries (if you know what to pick, of course). I myself have childhood memories of mushroom picking in the woods with my parents, and then drying the mushrooms for the winter. And my favourite appetizer has always been…pickled mushrooms!

Wait wait, there is still more! Besides being useful to humans, fungi are an essential part of Earth. Fungi can survive in severely polluted areas. They can clean the soil and prepare it for plants to grow on. It’s not an accident that the “biggest living thing” on Earth is indeed a mushroom, Armillaria ostoyae.

As a tribute to this magnificent organism, I have created a gallery of 32 beautiful and inspiring fungi photographs. Please, learn more about the mushrooms and use them in your Permaculture designs to benefit the Earth and the people.

All of the photographs below are licensed under Creative Commons license.

Fungus on willow

mushroom fungi photograph

The Mushrooms

mushroom fungi photograph

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