Thanks...and a question.

[peaceful_life]

http://www.networkearth.org/perma/culture.html

Ha! "Evil turns out to be rigorously applied stupidity." (from the lecture on home gardening). If only that was the whole truth. Unfortunately there is plenty of evil intent in this world (see: Rupert Murdoch, the Conservative Party, etc...). Although I have to agree that a large amount of what appears to be evil is indeed rigorously applied stupidity.

Thanks for posting.

Yep, it's all about belief (without question) systems.

Mollison can be one of the most rude, obnoxious and arrogant people you've ever heard, yet simultaneously lucidly informative, utterly engaging and hilariously funny.

His boyhood story of discovering the whale on the beach had be belly laughing, a true character.

If you've got half an hour for the craic, enjoy.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t20RRY3GLOw
'Bill Mollison, while teaching a permaculture course, tells an epic (and hilarious) tale about how children from a small sea side town make great use of a dead sperm whale.
Bills random tangents are the best'

[RenewableCandy]

I have a book about Forest Gardens and one bed of about 2x2 m in the front garden of Chateau Renewable was planted-up along those lines.

In that small space, there thrive:

1 Apple tree (prizewinning Bramleys)
3 Redcurrant bushes (prizewinning whine)
1 Blackcurrant bush
1 Gooseberry bush (which is a little crowded and might emigrate)
3 garlic bulbs (we only use the leaves)
1 Lemonbalm
1 Lavender
Some sorrel
1 Bramble
A load of Alpine Strawbs.

However, the little bed was previously occupied by a privet hedge, so had no weeds on whatsoever by the time I'd pulled that up (because privet kills most other stuff).

Attempts to replicate this bounty on a larger scale (on the Plot) would doubtless result in Death By Bindweed. On consulting the relevant part of my Forest Garden book, I was advised to resort to Agent Orange or similar. So, no forest gardens on the Plot, at least not this year.

Wow! That's a lot in a small space. Any chance of a piccy, or a planting diagram?

I've put it up on ye blogge. Doesn't look too impressive this time of year, but the advantage is, you can see where everything is:

[emordnilap]

Questions for y'all.

Does anyone have any of Bill Mollison's books? Which is the most "basic" one?

The other thing is, which permaculture book would most suit the UK/Ireland climate? (I'm thinking of gifts here).

[peaceful_life]

None of them are basic tbh.

Sepp Holzer, is probably the best temperate climate practitioner, so any of his work, the previous 2 being his best to date.