Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Worried about drought? Don't have enough rainwater in high summer? Tired of endless watering to keep your garden alive? Introducing self wicking grow beds fed automatically by filtered grey water so you don't get anaerobic and smelly.
Learn how you can also create a 'smart' i.e. passive solar greenhouse that stays warm at night and in winter and retains its 'coolth' in the daytime and in high summer. There are also wicking beds in the greenhouse, making the soil and compost damp even in a drought. All this is gravity fed and once set up requires no work. Clever!
Lucy and Gavin Roberts, featured on Ben Fogle’s New Lives in the Wild, share their innovative approach to off-grid living and growing at Permaculture Island.
Check out
➡️ Inside Permaculture Island: Off-Grid Living on the Isle of Wight – Part 1 here! youtu.be/EsK23p-qfoM
👉 Part 2: How Compost and Mulch Help Prevent Flooding & Coastal Erosion youtu.be/JbjefyhSta0
➡️ Part 3: How to Care for Chickens, Pigs & Goats | Permaculture Off-Grid Animal Care – youtu.be/BReHUQo5f_8
Then stay tuned for:
🔋 Part 5: Solar Power & Building a Refrigerated Pantry for Energy Independence
👉 Read more about Gavin and Lucy's inspiring story in Permaculture magazine:
permaculture.co.uk/issue/autumn-125
Filmed by T.H. Venner
Music by Tygermylk - open.spotify.com/artist/2Mz1PQnanSTGMp5lYkNY94?si=BPmMwIuXRl-_IvUWJG2aGA
Worried about drought? Don't have enough rainwater in high summer? Tired of endless watering to keep your garden alive? Introducing self wicking grow beds fed automatically by filtered grey water so you don't get anaerobic and smelly.
Learn how you can also create a 'smart' i.e. passive solar greenhouse that stays warm at night and in winter and retains its 'coolth' in the daytime and in high summer. There are also wicking beds in the greenhouse, making the soil and compost damp even in a drought. All this is gravity fed and once set up requires no work. Clever!
Lucy and Gavin Roberts, featured on Ben Fogle’s New Lives in the Wild, share their innovative approach to off-grid living and growing at Permaculture Island.
Check out
➡️ Inside Permaculture Island: Off-Grid Living on the Isle of Wight – Part 1 here! youtu.be/EsK23p-qfoM
👉 Part 2: How Compost and Mulch Help Prevent Flooding & Coastal Erosion youtu.be/JbjefyhSta0
➡️ Part 3: How to Care for Chickens, Pigs & Goats | Permaculture Off-Grid Animal Care – youtu.be/BReHUQo5f_8
Then stay tuned for:
🔋 Part 5: Solar Power & Building a Refrigerated Pantry for Energy Independence
👉 Read more about Gavin and Lucy's inspiring story in Permaculture magazine:
permaculture.co.uk/issue/autumn-125
Filmed by T.H. Venner
Music by Tygermylk - open.spotify.com/artist/2Mz1PQnanSTGMp5lYkNY94?si=BPmMwIuXRl-_IvUWJG2aGA
