Our Journey to Health and Wellbeing: New Beginnings

I am so excited to start this blog!

I live in Melbourne, Australia, and have been recently looking into permaculture as part of our whole family's journey into a life different to what we were living before. A more sustainable life that supports our environment and community, and a more fulfilling and healthy way.

When we first started house hunting, all I wanted was a house with no backyard - strike that - a backyard that was fully concreted!! OH HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED!!

Our journey along this path started with the wonderful arrival of our first son. He has changed our life in so many ways and we are forever grateful to him. After he was a four months old he developed severe eczema - head to toe - and food allergies. After much researching and looking for an alternative the western medicine advice we had received to help his skin (steroids for life, antibiotics for a year), I searched and searched for another way. There couldn't be 'no reason' why he was suffering like he was.

Against the advice of the dermatologist I changed my diet as I was breastfeeding and our son wasn't yet eating solids being so young and within a few months of turning to a GAPS diet he had beautiful clear skin. A few flare ups now and then, but chalk and cheese to how he was. My eyes were opened to a new way of life.

However, to cut a long story short, this has led me down the windy path towards permaculture. The front yard of our new house is a veggie patch (to maximise the northern aspect of the garden) and although it has been a little neglected due to my study commitments, it brings me a daily joy as I sit in my study or look out into the garden from the kitchen.

So....why permaculture? How - permaculture?

I can't recall how I started to learn about permaculture. Perhaps it was that Josh Byrne and Jerry Coleby-Williams being my favourite presenters from Gardening Australia. Their passion to improve their gardens with emphasis on reducing, reusing and closed loop systems - and a focus on growing their own food.

What do I love about permaculture?

What's not to love? Reducing or having no need to export waste from your property and therefore contribute to landfill/transport costs; sustainable living; observing your environment as one of the tenets (how I love to just be out there and be in my garden!); helping the environment and build a better place for our kids; helping soil biodiversity and therefore improving nutrient dense food crops - and not too intensive gardening. I get out there when I can, but I can't always get out there.

Here's a few photos of my garden when we first started out...

Above: picture of front garden from the driveway. Espalier posts, gabion walls, raised vegie beds (the larger are wicking beds) and some seating around the beds.