The Haynes' permaculture garden in Howick was designed and developed by their elder son Bruce at the end of 2010 after a comment, "Mom and Dad, I won't be able to look after you when you are old but I will make you a garden so you can sustain yourselves!" During his vacation from his studies in botany and photojournalism, Bruce dug swales in the front sloping garden, which fill with rain water from the roof for the double-reach beds. Later on he designed circular beds, which are easier to maintain, being watered and maintained from the outside so as to protect the beds from compaction (in line with permaculture principles). These beds are now filled with flowering potatoes, as well as pumpkins and mielies planted from seed. The two Jojo rain water tanks at the back of the house supply that vegetable garden.
A water-wise spiral herb garden made from alien invasive wood by Bruce and brother, Duncan, is incorporated into the design, as are chickens, various compost bins and a worm farm. Everything is done organically with no chemical sprays and Pam says they try to use what they find around them, another permaculture principle. Ways in which the recycling of waste is incorporated in the plan are: a nursery table along the length of the back fence, constructed by Duncan from wattle poles and lathes, old compact discs (CDs) strung across the garden to chase mouse birds and monkeys away, branches covering the seedlings protecting them from being scratched out by the chickens and hadedas, when they are looking for worms.
Pam and Ross belong to an extensive network of like-minded organic home gardeners, organic farmers and seed-savers. Old-fashioned skills are being revived and enjoyed – making sourdough bread, jamming and pickling. Nowadays they have cut down their supermarket shopping, preferring to buy locally (free range chicken, duck, seedlings) from markets: Broadleaze Farm, Dovehouse (this type of shopping cuts down significantly on packaging). Dairy produce is delivered by Gillie Robarts (Wana Farm) and Sharon Barnsley.
Pam feels spiritually, mentally and physically empowered. Her favourite vegetable is the bean and she harvested and podded 4kg last season. She estimates that in summer 40% of the family's nutritional requirements come from their garden. "There is nothing more fulfilling than harvesting your own home grown veggies!" She also supports a walking greengrocer and collects wasted fruit and vegetables from a travelling greengrocer.
Above all, Pam says she has learned to use her common sense in managing her permaculture garden and continues to learn from others on a similar path. If you would like to contact her email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Also visit the KZN Sustainability Forum for more information.
HowickVillage.co.za will be following this story with more input from other local households who have successfully created a level of food security in the Howick area. If you have any useful tips to share email us today at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
We have published a spoken word poem that Bruce wrote, "Awakening the dreamer" at the end of this article.
Awakening the dreamer
Bruce Haynes
London 2007
The universe is happening right here right now at this moment
We are mirroring the ideas we find billowing
like thunderclouds
Right now lightning is simultaneously striking
one hundred places on the earth's surface
Great things are happening
Something new is arising
A decentralised spontaneous uprising
Almost one million groups under different names
coming together to reclaim
and replace
Old habits in their death throes
That are pulling us down with them like those on death row
Come instead to the life edge
The knife edge
Reading books like hope's edge
Clinging to the ledge debating the pledge for the plunge
Into the unknown
These systems needs outgrown
Ideas be out-flown
Some unique tone
Vibrates to the bones
Shifts stones
Trees lean over and the wind freezes over just
not to miss
a word
We speak soft we'll be heard
This is unprecedented
We are calling down the storm that will regreen the desert
biologically we are scientifically proven to only be able to physically see
What fits in with our mental map of reality
So perhaps the only thing that matters
To those discontent with the status quo
Is changing our minds, starting acting to create the kind of world we
want to find
World systems are collapsing on a scale unimaginable
we got to start thinking radically
This is a question of community unity
This planet's immunity
depends on this unity
Experts call it synergy
One hundred million stars in our galaxy
One hundred million neurons firing in our brains
Creativity unleashed
What if we are the change we have been
waiting for?