When you own a property, there are always at least a few jobs on the "to do" list. Over the past week, I have been working to collect leaf mulch (mostly eucalyptus and brush box). This annual maintenance task is important for several reasons... read more

We have just completed a kids abc scavenger hunt for our garden. This fun activity takes us on a journey through our zone 1 and 2 (permaculture) garden areas and through all 26 letters of the alphabet! Our goal is to find as many different plants and animals… read more

We have just completed a winter garden calendar and wheel of the year for our zone 1 and 2 (permaculture) garden areas. The calendar outlines what the garden feels like, what's in flower, what's in crop, what the animals are doing, what to plant and what… read more

We recently completed an inventory of the animals located in zone 1 to 5 of our (permaculture) garden areas. In total, the garden has approximately 180 unique animals (including insects, birds, arachnids, mammals, frogs, molluscs, reptiles and worms)... read more

You can now take a different look at the plants in our garden (using an interactive data visualisation tool from Tableau Public). The information is from our most recent inventory of the plants in our zone 1 to zone 5 (permaculture) garden areas. We will be… read more

After far too many years of using practical (but completely uninspired) names for our various (permaculture) garden areas, we are finally in the process of using our imagination to develop more creative names. A shared family challenge and quick walk around… read more

If you're looking for a fun family activity over the holidays, why not consider making a family tree? This activity can be a great way to learn more about your family and can be made as simple or as complicated as you would like. read more

We recently completed an inventory of the plant varieties located in zone 1 to 5 of our (permaculture) garden areas. In total, the garden has approximately 229 unique plants that each have a different function in the garden. Of these, 108 unique plants are… read more

The following photo galleries show how half of our zone 1 (permaculture) garden areas have progressed over time - from 2003 to the present. As with all the photo galleries on the site, please single click on an image to see a larger view and/or a slideshow. read more

We have just completed a high-level diagram that outlines the various (permaculture) zones on our property. For those unfamiliar with the concept of (permaculture) zones, the following explanation (taken from Wikipedia) should be helpful... read more

Gaining the skills to become more self sufficient can take you in so many different and interesting directions. For example, about 20 years ago, I knitted a scarf. At the time, I didn't value the outcome enough to justify the time and effort required.… read more

Before living at treetops, we'd never thought about bulk food storage. But, as our family started to think more about self sufficiency, we realised that long term food storage was going to play a major part for us. Long story short, after doing research on… read more

We have just finished our first attempt at taking a basic wildlife inventory of the treetops property. At present, our species list is based on the climatewatch species list. You can find out more about this excellent initiative at… read more

I discovered the wonder of crochet while finishing my first knitting project (kids knitted poncho - the joy of knitting). I decided to try to crochet a few flowers as an embellishment. Now, I am addicted to both crochet and crochet flowers! read more

If you're looking for a fun family activity over the holidays, why not consider making a family tree? This activity can be a great way to learn more about your family and can be made as simple or as complicated as you would like. read more

We are going on a treasure hunt to collect flowers and leaves for art and for pressing! Once dried, we will make some more beautiful artwork. Stay tuned for progress... read more

We have just completed a winter garden calendar and wheel of the year for our zone 1 and 2 (permaculture) garden areas. The calendar outlines what the garden feels like, what's in flower, what's in crop, what the animals are doing, what to plant and what… read more

We have just completed a high-level diagram that outlines the various (permaculture) zones on our property. For those unfamiliar with the concept of (permaculture) zones, the following explanation (taken from Wikipedia) should be helpful... read more

- mosaic hopscotch, - backyard games. read more

Maddy (and I) are extremely lucky to have a father (and husband) that loves to create all sorts of delicious homemade food. He is constantly working to find the best recipes and techniques for everything from homemade whole wheat pastry (to make tasty apple… read more