Comments on: Weeds or Wild Nature? http://permaculture.org.au/2008/12/10/weeds-or-wild-nature/ Permaculture News, Commentary and Worldwide Projects. Wed, 16 May 2012 18:44:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Lucario http://permaculture.org.au/2008/12/10/weeds-or-wild-nature/#comment-28853 Lucario Fri, 19 Dec 2008 22:25:49 +0000 http://permaculture.org.au/?p=918#comment-28853 On our small urban block we grow as much we can. Even though there is to some, an obvious over planting, we enjoy the bustling randomness that is kind of like what happens in natural ecosystems (water and nutrients pending). Having started from a bare block some two years ago, there is plenty lush green now, and always something to eat. Natives (some with fruit) and edibles are what we shove in. There is no zoning of either (except little leafy greens are near the back step etc.). The ironic thing is in a garden where you like self-seeding to proliferate, that the dominant sprouters (or if you prefer "weeds" or undesireable plants) are a native that we chose to form a quick canopy, Macaranga tanarius (sp.). They are phenomenal. Birds love the seeds, I'm wondering if we can cook with them, and meanwhile grass runners and Maca' seedlings are going through the compost heaps no wuz... If i feel guilty about weeds in the tiny bush areas around my suburb, I'll go and do some weeding without the 'landcare' sign up (no disrespect intended). Symbols? Hmmph. Give me complex practicalities any day... On our small urban block we grow as much we can. Even though there is to some, an obvious over planting, we enjoy the bustling randomness that is kind of like what happens in natural ecosystems (water and nutrients pending). Having started from a bare block some two years ago, there is plenty lush green now, and always something to eat. Natives (some with fruit) and edibles are what we shove in. There is no zoning of either (except little leafy greens are near the back step etc.). The ironic thing is in a garden where you like self-seeding to proliferate, that the dominant sprouters (or if you prefer “weeds” or undesireable plants) are a native that we chose to form a quick canopy, Macaranga tanarius (sp.). They are phenomenal. Birds love the seeds, I’m wondering if we can cook with them, and meanwhile grass runners and Maca’ seedlings are going through the compost heaps no wuz… If i feel guilty about weeds in the tiny bush areas around my suburb, I’ll go and do some weeding without the ‘landcare’ sign up (no disrespect intended). Symbols? Hmmph. Give me complex practicalities any day…

]]> By: paul taylor http://permaculture.org.au/2008/12/10/weeds-or-wild-nature/#comment-28704 paul taylor Fri, 12 Dec 2008 09:03:23 +0000 http://permaculture.org.au/?p=918#comment-28704 Wild nature may turn out to be a critical fall-back resource for society in crisis and even contribute to new biodiversity adaptive to a planet changed forever by 10 billion people and the mining of 750 million years worth of stored solar energy. I believe the real reason that more people prefer to grow native plants is that it involves less work and skill than growing your own food and that food remains so cheap (while farmers go broke and the land degrades) that most householders can’t be bothered. For those of us committed to household environmental responsibility an apple is a better symbol than a gum nut. These two simple statements sum it up for me, until we grow at least some of our own food and reduce energy we are lost as a 'civilization" and doomed to failure. I choose to spend more time in the garden and then I spend in front of the flat screen. The really amazing thing is that we continue to live in ways that we know are wrong, our conditioning to work against nature rather than with nature is truly astounding. "think before you act but don't believe everything you think, when in doubt look for balance, to find balance, look to nature" Wild nature may turn out to be a critical fall-back resource for society in crisis and even contribute to new biodiversity adaptive to a planet changed forever by 10 billion people and the mining of 750 million years worth of stored solar energy.

I believe the real reason that more people prefer to grow native plants is that it involves less work and skill than growing your own food and that food remains so cheap (while farmers go broke and the land degrades) that most householders can’t be bothered. For those of us committed to household environmental responsibility an apple is a better symbol than a gum nut.

These two simple statements sum it up for me, until we grow at least some of our own food and reduce energy we are lost as a ‘civilization” and doomed to failure. I choose to spend more time in the garden and then I spend in front of the flat screen.

The really amazing thing is that we continue to live in ways that we know are wrong, our conditioning to work against nature rather than with nature is truly astounding.

“think before you act but don’t believe everything you think, when in doubt look for balance, to find balance, look to nature”

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