Elizabeth's Secret Garden

    This aquaponics system is  a sustainable project that I had the pleasure of seeing as a student of the Orlando Permaculture Design Course. Our tour was led by Zak Marimon who owns his own business Agarian Land and Pond. This was a unique experience that displayed how much can be done right on your own property. Much of this project was done by recycling materials. Craigslist is a great place to find materials for cheap or even free. I was impressed by the creativity and great knowledge of science behind this project. I learned that chemistry plays a big part in creating a system as grand as this. The system operates by pumping water from the fish tank into the Grow Beds and then pumping it back into the fish tank. It is a symbiotic relationship that benefits the fish and the plants. The fish wastes provide nutrients for the plants and waste plant materials feed the fish. The water is distributed through pipes that run through the Grow Beds. The fish water is filt...

My family went to the 16th Annual Herbal Faire on Saturday, November 10. The participants for this year’s event included Trout Lake Nature Center, Slow Turtle Farm, Saturday Night Soaps, and others. To read more about the event visit. http://www.rosesandherbs.com/events.htm   Below are pictures from our family visit to the Herb Farm and our experience of attending the 16th Annual Herbal Fair. We enjoyed taking a look around the large greenhouse with a nice selection of herbs. Most of them are started from seeds as well as cuttings taken from their own stock. It was nice to encounter familiar herbs that I’ve studied and personally have grown from seed. Some of the herbs at the Herb Farm are hard to find at other nurseries and a rare find. Herbs like Holy Basil and yarrow are both great herbs that I’m fond of and they can be purchased at the farm. Holy Basil is a great herb for anxiety and depression. Yarrow has many uses, but is especially useful for fevers. All the herbs are...

  My garden this fall is productive and flourishing. I have learned and experienced so much during the 4 years I’ve been gardening. I now grow herbs, vegetables, and butterfly plants. Many of my herbs and vegetables are started from seed which allows me to experiment with different and unique varieties. When I first started, I could hardly get seeds to sprout and many of my plants dried out. So if you feel that you are lacking a “green thumb,” don’t be discouraged. Start out small and then expand. I learned that growing plants in pots in Florida doesn’t work well because the heat dries out the soil too fast. We converted to raised beds in our family garden which works much better.  Also, as a beginner gardener, I suggest buying seedlings from the store and when you feel more confident than begin your journey with seeds. B eware though, seed shopping is addicting! The joy of herbs! So many choices. Starting herbs from seeds can open so many different opportunities to try n...

This fall I am participating in a Permaculture Design Course through the Simple Living Institute http://www.simplelivinginstitute.org/ . Tia and Terry Meer are teaching the course and have discussed a wide range of topics. For day 4, we discussed propagation from seeds and cuttings, composting piles, and worm composting. All of these are important in applying permaculture and integrating sustainable living. It is a way of life that takes time and is constantly developing. Steps to Building Worm Bin The bottom container has a tap that allows worm compost tea to be released. The worm tea is very concentrated so I water mine down to a ratio of 1 part worm tea and 10 parts water. It is a wonderful liquid fertilizer for plants. I use it for plants that need a little extra boost in nutrients. Then I lay down a thin cloth before adding the first tray which will be where the worms and food scraps are added. At the bottom of the tray, I put ripped up paper. This is a great way to recycle j...

  For the third day of the Permaculture Design Course, we spent the morning learning about composting, biointensive gardening, creating mushroom beds, and we began our study of forest garden designs. The Urban Farm is an educational site that brings fellow gardeners together to dig deeper into permaculture. The farm demonstrates how to produce food that is healthy for us and the planet. The Urban Farm is managed by Tia Meer and was co-founded with John Rife. The farm now has a work exchange CSA program and “Work and Learn” classes to teach basic gardening skills to anyone who is interested. Urban Farm Website: http://winterparkharvestfestival.com/urban-farm   The first demonstration involved hands on work for building a compost pile. These wood pallets were converted into a composter. We discovered that the wood was already in use by a cluster of mushrooms. With all the men working together, the composter was quickly assembled. The first layer consisted of large...