The list of our most-read articles in 2021 was diverse. Here we wrap up our most popular reads for the year.
Our top 10 articles ranged from how to grow your own coffee, herbal teas and edible flowers, to ways to practice regenerative agriculture at home and set up your own aquaponics system. Recipes for pickled purslane and fermented onion weed were also a hit!
Keep reading for a list of our most popular stories this year on Pip and catch up on any you may have missed throughout the year.
1. 4 Herbal Teas To Grow At Home
There are so many great reasons to grow your own herbal teas. Having a range of herbs on your doorstep, each with varying flavours and health benefits, is the main one. You will also have fresh organic tea available whenever you feel like having a cuppa.
By growing your herbs organically, you are avoiding hidden pesticides and herbicides, as well as saving yourself money. And finally, you are reducing waste and the environmental footprint involved in bringing tea from a commercial grower to your kitchen.
We bring you four herbal teas to grow at home.
2. Pickled Purslane Recipe
Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is a vigorous annual plant that grows like a ground cover and can be eaten raw or cooked.
Highly revered in Mediterranean and Eastern cuisines, it is almost unknown to the Australian palate.
Also known as pigweed (not to be confused with pigface, Carpobrotus rossii), purslane can be seen as an annoying weed, but for those in the know, it is an abundant source of valuable vitamins and nutrients and is a tasty food source. Here’s a delicious pickled purslane recipe to try.
3. Pip Profile: Hannah Moloney
Dedicated permie, Hannah Moloney of Good Life Permaculture featured in the very first issue of Pip Magazine, all the way back in 2014.
In our special 20th Issue we caught up with Hannah Moloney seven years on, and find out where her permaculture journey has taken her and what she’s learnt along the way.
Here, we chat with Hannah about the key lessons she’s learned throughout her permaculture journey and her best piece of advice for those new to self-reliant living.
4. How To Grow Your Own Coffee
An attractive and ornamental plant, coffee (Coffea arabica) belongs to the same family as gardenias and citrus. It has glossy dark green leaves and a covering of fragrant small white flowers, followed by green berries and bright red cherries. It is a very robust plant, with few pests and diseases.
Many of us love coffee, but often the beans have travelled a long way to reach our cup. But it is possible to grow your own coffee and cut down on those food miles. We show you how.
5. 5 Edible Flowers To Grow In Your Garden
When you start looking into which flowers are edible, it is surprising to find that most gardeners have at least one variety of edible bloom growing in their garden.
The wonderful thing about growing flowers for food is that it gives you a good reason to take up growing space with them. Ideally our gardens are filled not only with vegetables and greens, but also flowers for us and the bees.
There are many varieties of edible flowers, but these top five are easy to grow, and perform well. They can stay fresh for hours after picking – but avoid the heat of the day, and place the stems in water until you use them.
6. Fermented Onion Weed Recipe
Onion weed (Allium triquetrum ) is very easily foraged in the spring as the weather warms up. Look for clumps of the telltale three-cornered stalks, glossy leaves and nodding white flowers.
Wondering what to do with an abundance of onion weed? Turn your weed problem into a delicious solution with this fermented onion weed recipe.
7. 7 Natural Building Materials For A Sustainable Home
Whether you’re thinking of becoming an owner-builder or retrofitting your home, you might be wondering which building materials will ensure an effective, beautiful and sustainable home.
Some important factors to consider are: which resources are available to you locally (both on your property and in your area); cost of materials; thermal properties sought – passive solar design, thermal mass and insulation – and how these interact with each other; embodied energy involved; and the ease of material construction.
Here we reveal the seven natural building materials that are not only better for the planet, are also better for your health and the health of your family.
8. 5 Ways to Practice Regenerative Agriculture At Home
In a world of a changing climate and an increasingly politicised and broken food system, regenerative agriculture is a large-scale example of practices we can adopt in our own backyards, which are beneficial for both our health and our environment.
By ensuring the food we grow and eat has been produced using principles which are regenerating the soil and ecosystems, not only is it infinitely healthier for us, but we’re restoring the planet at the same time.
In fact, if the entire world adopted regenerative agriculture practices, it’s believed we could completely reverse global warming in as little as 30 years.
Find out how you can adopt regenerative agriculture practices in your own backyard.
9. The Perfect Backyard Chicken Setup
Ahh… chooks. The perfectly multi-purpose permaculture animal. Not only will they lay you an egg-shaped meal every day, they will scratch up and turn over a piece of land in a matter of days.
Want to introduce chooks into your permaculture system but not sure how to get started? We explore a number of options for a backyard chicken setup.
10. Buying An Electric Bike: What You Need To Know
In an era where many of us are looking to move away from public transport, adopting electric-drivetrain technology in an electric bike, motorcycle or scooter is a low-impact solution to reducing greenhouse gases.
The adaptation of electric motors into bicycles now means you don’t have to compromise on the distance you need to cover as much as you once would have, making an electric bike a viable commuting option.
Thinking of investing in an electric bike? Here’s everything you need to know before taking the plunge.
Bonus article… Setting Up An Aquaponics System At Home
Aquaponics combines aquaculture and hydroponics to produce fish and plants in one integrated system, creating a symbiotic and mostly self-sustaining relationship.
Combining fish and plants isn’t a new concept, with its origins dating back several millennia. Asia’s rice paddy farming systems is an example.
Aquaponics today borrows and combines methods primarily developed by the hydroponics aquaculture industries, along with new ideas from the innovative DIY online community.
We give you the lowdown on setting up an aquaponics system at home.
