Food Forests and gardens: Natural swimming pools

Food forests and gardens

The food forest gardening approach is the creation of systems which are productive and abundant yet which require very little maintenance. It is entirely possible to design and plant a forest which, within a relatively short period of time is productive and relatively self-maintaining.
By exploiting the premise of companion planting, trees, shrubs and herbs can be intermixed to grow on multiple levels in the same area, as do the plants in a forest.
We can consciously apply the principles of ecology to the design of home scale gardens that mimic forest ecosystem structure and function, but at the same time grow food, fuel, fiber, fodder, fertilizer and medicine.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Natural swimming pools

Here's something that has really inspired me!

We all know that chlorine is highly toxic to life, it is used to stop bacteria and algae from growing in swimming pools.
Managed properly, natural swimming pools have crystal clear water and require no chemicals to maintain, as they are self-cleaning mini-ecosystems.
The use of aquatic plants to absorb the nitrates in the water keep it from stagnating!
more info here
Daniel Tohill at www.sustainablehabitats.co.nz has built a couple around New Zealand.