About Sustainable Macleod
Sustainable Macleod works on 4 pillars of sustainability- edible gardening/food security, biodiversity, clean energy and waste.
Projects by Sustainable Macleod include a wide range of events and workshops, the Sustainable Macleod Community Garden, a tool library and seed bank for members and sale of plants raised in the Garden.
Latest from the blog
Featuring the latest Macleod news along with a variety of gardening and growing tips, recipes and information on sustainable living.
Wetting agents for soil: yes or no?
Have you ever tried to wash greasy dishes in hot water without detergent? Nothing much happens until you add a few drops of detergent to the water - then hey presto, clean, sparkling dishes emerge. What causes this is the surfactants in the detergent, and it is the...
The noisy miner problem
In our backyards and parks, there's a bird causing quite a ruckus: the noisy miner (Manorina melanocephala). These birds are indigenous but have very much made themselves at home in urban environments. Unfortunately, they're not very friendly neighbours and have...
Fast fashion more dangerous than we think!
The kernel that generated this article was my investigation into why stains are so hard to remove from some fabrics. The short answer is that over 85% of cheaper garments are made from petrochemicals - oil and coal - which absorb 'stains' and don't release them easily...
Robert Hoddle – chains and grids in terra nullius
Preamble On a recent heritage walk in Lower Plenty-Yallambie, I was asked how colonial surveyors actually measured the Crown Land Portions, and why Martins Lane was called 50 Links Occupation Road. People looked unconvinced when I talked about surveyors dragging a...
The humble lawnmower
The arrival of the 2 new ride-on battery mowers for Banyule City Council’s Parks staff to use prompted me to revisit an article I wrote last year. The article was about petrol-driven mowers contributing to climate change and local pollution of various kinds. Council’s...
Plant garlic in April in Melbourne
April and May are the months to plant garlic in Melbourne; the weather is cooling, there's rain and our beds are prepared. See March hint for bed preparation . If you have saved or bought Australian garlic that is rust free, the job is easy but if you have saved...
Join Sustainable Macleod
Become a member and get access to the community garden, the tool library and our seed library. We welcome all members of the community and have regular events and workshops to enjoy.