Archive - Dirt Notes

Meditations on the bluer faces of ajisai (紫陽花)

Hydrangeas in the Japanese rainy season— and how to practice cooling of the mind.

Jul 10 •

September 2024

Let the flowers grow

An ode to wild spaces in cities, inspired by a recent trip to London.

Sep 7, 2024 •

August 2024

Soothing the body with mallow

Identifying, eating and healing with mallow (an edible weed!)

Aug 30, 2024 •

Sourgrass: the sharp taste of winter

Notes on foraging and eating Oxalis pes-caprae L.

Aug 21, 2024 •

July 2024

Foraging for nasturtium

Eat it all. The leaves, the flowers, the peppery seeds.

Jul 3, 2024 •

June 2024

Sweet alyssum, growing in the margins

Notes on alyssum which is currently springing up all through my neighbourhood.

Jun 24, 2024 •

May 2024

Persistently green and prolific: Rethinking my relationship with weeds

Attitudes about weeds.

May 25, 2024 •

April 2024

Walking the names of the bush

Learning the names of plant species growing in my local patch of banksia woodland, and how it's creating more connection for me.

Apr 15, 2024 •

February 2024

Permaculture design— the poetry, the ethics, the reasons it's captured my imagination

A rambling answer to the "what is permaculture?" question, plus reflections on a recent permaculture design course I completed.

Feb 13, 2024 •

December 2023

Briefly I am beautiful: Flowers that change colour

An exploration of changing colours in flowering species, inspired by the cottonwood hibiscus in my neighbourhood.

Dec 14, 2023 •

Beneficial insects and how to make them feel welcome in your garden

A little celebration of insects like bees, ladybirds and hoverflies who can help your garden thrive.

Dec 3, 2023 •

November 2023

Herbs for the hot and dry garden

An aromatic selection of herbs that will thrive in the Perth summer, inspired by a little herb garden in Cowaramup.

Nov 21, 2023 •

#nojs-banner { position: fixed; bottom: 0; left: 0; padding: 16px 16px 16px 32px; width: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; background: red; color: white; font-family: -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px; } #nojs-banner a { color: inherit; text-decoration: underline; } This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please turn on JavaScript or unblock scripts