The theme for this year’s edible garden trail is Permaculture and, as you know, one of the twelve principles of permaculture is to Produce no Waste. In a perfect ecosystem nothing goes to waste. Everything is composted.
Waste is a human invention, so we need to think before we buy new and consider the end of life for that item. Where will it end up? Can it be repaired? Recycled? Upcycled? Do you really need it? Can you buy second hand – extending the life of something that already is?
One of our new garden hosts shines brightly in her passion for low waste living. We’d like to share Lisa’s story with you.
Branches of Me – Budgewoi
Lisa from Branches of Me in Budgewoi
Growing up in the UK, my dad always had an allotment. It was next to the cricket club, and we would float between weekends of cricket and carrots. I remember hating the taste of the furry runner beans but loving the sweetness of the raspberries growing wild. It was part of life.
When I moved to Australia alone, it took a few years to settle with my Australian partner, and eventually, we bought a home in his hometown of Budgewoi. I first started my sewing business as a way of providing cloth nappies for our son on a budget, and this evolved into a passion for sustainability and low-waste choices. We have become a disposable-free home, using all washables, reusables, and recyclables where possible. We renovated a vintage caravan into my sewing room, and I began making my safe space in the garden.
After our second son, this passion for a sustainable lifestyle expanded into the garden, and suddenly, I was brought back to memories of bathtubs full of rainwater, furry beans, and dirty carrots. My addiction had begun.
I started with the one area in my garden that had exposed soil. It shared the space with Murraya hedges, so I dug out the front section and planted my first edibles: potatoes and carrots. Next, I moved to another bed, then another, and then another. On every visit my parents made, my dad was roped into building my next garden bed for me. My variety expanded to foods we would eat at dinner—green beans and peas—and slowly, I added more variety to encourage myself and my family to try new vegetables such as eggplant and silverbeet.
Five years on, I have plants from apples to zucchinis, banana trees to sweetcorn, and carrots to peas. It’s addictive, it’s satisfying, it’s therapy.
And the best part? I get to combine my sewing with my garden—my philosophy of sustainability, consciousness, and passion. Low-waste living in all areas of my life. My sewing scraps become compost, spare fabric becomes grow bags, seed heads become decorations, and flowers become balms for my ever-working hands. Each year, my passion extends further—to collecting seeds, drying herbs, making relish, and canning food. The possibilities from one average-sized family garden are powerful.
I am not one for following patterns or pathways; I like to follow my heart. I don’t worry about the where, what, and when—I throw things in the garden and see what comes. The hardest part about gardening is often throwing the first seeds. I hope my passion for reducing waste, saving money, and saving seeds has left you with the urge to start for yourself…
Lisa’s garden – Branches of Me – will be open on Saturday 3rd May from 9:30am to 4pm, as part of the Central Coast Edible Garden Trail. Check out the Branches of Me garden profile and links to Lisa’s website and Instagram for more information.