Wow! Minds are buzzing with new ideas after a great afternoon discussing design principles and planning what our community garden might look like in the future.

Permaculture designer Alan Atkinson led a brainstorming workshop on Saturday afternoon at the Veggie Village, during which a group of Villagers expressed their ideas for the next physical stage of our community garden enterprise. With everyone taking notes and Bruce putting it all down on a giant plan, we toured the garden and dissected each area. Of course, it is not just a matter of "what do we want to grow?" but more "what do we want to achieve and how will the garden evolve in the next few years?" Lots of different ideas there! So first we got down to focus on our main aims.

Education has always been a core part of what we do at Veggie Village, mainly through workshops and demonstration gardens, and of course we want to actually grow some food! The pioneer members who worked hard to obtain the land, erect the garden plots and education shelter and get everyone started on growing their own food deserve a massive round of applause. It's fantastic the physical structures that is now in existence.

But where to now? Do we want perennials like fruit trees? Do we have enough mulch plantings for our plots and compost? Could we be making more compost? How to control those pesky weeds? What about the brutal western sun in summer? What about growing our own pizzas, literally, using starches grown on site for bases? How can we involve different people who don't yet know it's possible to work with natural rhythms to produce sustainable systems, even little ones like our own back yards?

Alan very quickly came up with a number of different scenarios to kick-start our planning process, and the results of that will start to shape the garden during the coming months. It's the next stage of our ever evolving garden, but then, as Alan said, that's what permaculture is; never static and always responding to the needs of the environment and people.

Glenda Hennig - Permaculture Design Pod Head

Basil comes from India and is dedicated to Vishu, the god who preserves life.
It is regarded as the incarnation of his wife, Lakshmi, goddess of fortune and beauty. In Africa, people believed that eating the leaves of Basil would ease the pain of scorpion stings, while the Romans used the herb to counteract poisoning.

Nowadays the medicinal use of Basil (leaves and flowers) focuses mainly on the digestive and nervous system. Taken fresh as a culinary herb, or made into a tea, it can be used to

- relieve nausea and vomiting
- kill intestinal worms
- ease flatulence
- reduce anxiety
- improve sleep

Applied topically, crushed Basil leaves rubbed onto the skin act as an insect repellent, and the juice from the leaves can be used to relieve the itchiness from insect bits.

The pure essential oil of Basil is considered to be one of the finest remedies for the brain and nervous system. In Aromatherapy the oil is used for those

- in need of protection
- suffer from a debilitating illness
- nervous exhaustion

It is a warming oil that lifts the spirit, making it also an excellent remedy for depression and melancholy. Simply use 4 drops of the oil in a vaporizer throughout the day, or add it to your bath.

Caution: The essential oil is contra-indicated in pregnancy.

 

We have a jammed packed year ahead planned with monthly Guru Workshops and Hands-on Gardening and Maintenance mornings.

Our Guru Workshops usually run for about 2 hours on a particular subject. On Our Hands-on mornings we put what we've learnt into practice in our communal veggie beds and build and maintain our community garden.

Workshops costs - $15 non-members; $10 members

No bookings required, please turn up 1/2 hour before scheduled start.

Please wear covered shoes and a hat.

View timetable

Di Hirst Oval, Rufous Street, Peregian Beach, Queensland.
From David Low Way, turn into Woodland Drive and left into Rufous Street.