Estate Living Magazine Estate Living Issue 29 May | Page 39

nature; we are a part of it, and everything we do impacts on most of us do have municipal water but – as Capetonians are
our environment, which then impacts right back on us. realising – that is not a limitless resource, and there are more
Permaculture educator Jacqueline Edmiston says that you
should never let any nutrient leave your property – and that
includes paper and cardboard. And, obviously, it includes
kitchen and garden waste. Composting really is a no-brainer,
just like recycling. But it can be challenging on a small scale,
so that’s why communal composters are such a good idea,
and residential estates are perfectly positioned for large-
scale composting. And, on a domestic scale, there are some
great mini-composting options, so anyone can start. The
easiest, according to Jacqueline, is a Bokashi-activated bran
composter. With absolutely no mess or smell, you can keep
it right in the kitchen, so it works fine for apartments, and it
will give you enough compost for a nice little herb trough or
a salad picking box. Worm farms are also great, but they are
more hands-on – and those hands will get dirty – so they’re
not for everyone. Traditional compost heaps are not really
feasible on most estates, but there are some well-designed
garden composters that can be camouflaged, and some –
like the so-easy-to-use Yolo Colours compost tumbler – are
made deliberately pretty and colourful because composting
is something to be proud of, not hidden in a dark corner.
Water
and more people relying on it every day. So, unless you live
on the banks of a huge, unpolluted perennial river, this will
usually mean harvesting rainwater or mining groundwater. Or
even – if the weather and relief are suitable – catching mist
and fog. And, of course, having found a source of water, you
need to make the most of it – and that means pretty much
ensuring that your soil holds water well, and that there is
no bare earth to facilitate rapid evaporation. Sometimes you
have to fight against the OCD side of your nature and refrain
from raking up every leaf the moment it falls, because a nice
mulch of leaves could be your garden’s best defence against
desiccation. That, and good soil enriched by home-made
compost.
Around and around we go
And that brings us full circle back to compost. And that’s
the secret – everything you do affects everything else. But
don’t guilt-trip it; enjoy the small bit you feel comfortable
doing, and chances are you will be hooked and will find
yourself stepping deeper and deeper into the permanently
perpetuating positive feedback loop that is permaculture.
And you will find more sub-loops and exciting byways.
Welcome to the adventure.
Water is so fundamentally essential that ensuring water
security is one of the pillars of permaculture. Of course,
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