Here’s an effective and low-cost method to propagate plants easily without spending your time constantly checking soil moisture. It’s for all those who love plants but tend to… well… forget about them. The method is also useful for people who can’t always be around their plants — for example, those who live in the city … Read more
At Ermitaj, the association we founded aims “to support individuals and communities in moving towards a way of life that respects the Earth and people, in a spirit of sharing and solidarity.” But imagining that we are doing this “for changing the world” would be a dangerous illusion. Believing that a few local initiatives could … Read more
Do you dream of a garden that provides food, beauty and shade… almost by itself? Then the forest garden is for you! From Robert Hart, who planted the first modern forest gardens in the UK, to Martin Crawford or Dave Jacke, who wrote landmark books, and to visionaries such as Ernst Götsch in Brazil or … Read more
It’s the height of summer and the harvest is abundant! You’re busy canning, and you don’t really have the time (or the patience) to cut out pretty labels? Neither do we.Our method: simply write directly on the glass with a permanent marker. Fast, readable, washable. And here’s the bonus: a numbering system that finally puts … Read more
The herb spiral is something of a holy grail for beginner permaculturists. The first time you come across it in a book by Bill Mollison (co-founder of permaculture), you immediately think: this is what I need.At Ermitaj, back in 2021, a group of young people we hosted wanted one so badly that we ended up … Read more
The idea of torture often evokes images of immediate and brutal violence. Yet some of the most dreadful tortures ever devised rely on natural, soft, everyday elements. The drip-drip of water falling on the skull of a bound prisoner is one such example. Bamboo growing under another. These methods are based on slow repetition, on … Read more
During the semi-annual gathering of the Belgian permaculture network Permanant, last March, we were offered a short training by Antoine Clin on slugs. A subject that fascinates Antoine so much that he devoted his PhD thesis to it. He talked to us about the role of slugs in nature, their life cycles, and strategies for … Read more
This article was inspired by a discussion at a bar I had years ago with a civil engineer. He saw no point in worrying about ecology because, according to him, everything eventually “disappears” anyway. He backed up his argument by explaining the concept of entropy. To which I replied: okay, everything falls apart, sure—but why … Read more