Crystal Healing

Good for the body and for the soul, Crystal Waters Permaculture Village is a sustainable paradise for this family.

- Claire Bickle

Morag Gamble’s passion for gardening came from her dad’s interest in permaculture. Her mother and grandfather also grew a range of edibles as well as native species for wildlife and there were always a few handraised chooks and fruit trees.

Morag’s imagination was really fired, though, when a small group got together in the heart of Brisbane to start a community garden, which was to become the well-known and well-loved Northey Street City Farm (nscf.org.au).

Now, with her partner, Evan Raymond, and their three children, Maia, Hugh and Monty, Morag tends an acre of subtropical heaven in the idyllic surrounds of Crystal Waters Permaculture Village, located near Conondale in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast hinterland.

The main garden takes up a quarter-acre on a tricky 1:5 slope, so Morag and Evan built contoured terraces with no-dig gardens and keyhole paths for access. These collect and direct rainwater into the gardens, reducing considerably the need for watering.

There are three tanks, with a total capacity of 50,000L, and large amounts of organic matter are added to the soil to help the gardens hold moisture within the soil structure. The best ways to save water, says Morag, are to mulch thickly, choose drought-hardy plants and plant seasonally.

COMPOST, WORMS & DIVERSITY

Everything at Crystal Waters is recycled, says Morag. She’s particularly proud of their big compost bay, usually a mix of chook manure, straw and scraps, plus there’s a compost bin for excess food that doesn’t go to the worms as well as garden waste, coffee grounds from the local cafes, comfrey and household paper.