The summer issue of Pip is packed full of inspiration and information on a diverse range of earth-conscious topics. We ask the experts how they trellis their tomatoes for the best-quality yields, take you on a tour of a tiny house on Magnetic Island and Hannah Maloney reveals how she plans a successful
permaculture garden
In the Mayan highlands on the shores of Lake Atitlán of Guatemala is the Instituto Mesoamericano de Permacultura. It was created in 2000 by a group of Indigenous Maya Kakchiquel people dedicated to reclaiming native seeds and traditional Indigenous knowledge systems, and have chosen to use permaculture as the platform to help them achieve it.
Soil never wants to be bare, so whether you use your plants as a living mulch or cover the soil around your plants, always ensuring you don’t have exposed or bare soil reduces degradation. There are times though when a thick layer of mulch is not a great idea, like in winter with its heavy rainfall periods because young plants can rot if mulch is too thick and soggy around their bases. Mulch will hold moisture in the soil, so summer is a great time to ensure plants are mulched well. Just make sure your soil is well watered before spreading mulch and water again once it’s spread. Ensure mulch isn’t hard up against plants where they emerge from the soil, to reduce the risk of rotting and allow airflow.
We’d love to see if we’ve inspired you to embark on any projects. The letter of the issue will receive a limited-edition Pip magazine print featuring archival inks on textured, 300 gsm rag paper. Email your letters and photos to editorial@pipmagazine.com.au
Sweet pepper, bell pepper or capsicum, regardless of what you call it, this versatile vegetable is a firm favourite in households worldwide. As easy to grow in pots as they are in the ground, and with many varieties to choose from, capsicums are a delicious addition to the warm weather garden.
There are so many variables when it comes to working out the best technique for trellising tomatoes. We can learn a lot from people who grow them for a living.
Beet kvass is becoming well known among the fermented drink offerings now, but Sharon Flynn from The Fermentary in Daylesford, Victoria, loves this darker, more beer-like version made from bread.
Laksa is a delicious medley of flavours originating in Malaysia and South-East Asia. Full of fresh ingredients, many are medicinal and most are easy to grow, especially if you live in a tropical climate.
For a yoga teacher with a passion for permaculture, building a tiny home from recycled materials became the perfect way to connect with her family and community.
We have all been spending a lot more time at home lately. And it has given us an opportunity to become more familiar with our local spaces. Whether that be our own gardens, if we have them, our verges, our local parks and, if we’re lucky, our local wild places. We’ve had more time experiencing them, exploring them, getting to know them and potentially feeling a deeper connection to them.
