It was in April 2006 that the very first permablitz took place at Vilma from El Salvador’s place in Dandenong. We worked, ate, danced the salsa, and had a damn fine time transforming her garden.

The team at the first ever permablitz

Here’s some more photos from the day:

This was part of the beginning of Dan and Adam’s friendship and it was through the permablitz network that we cut our teeth as designers and implementers of gardens. It’s where we met or got to know key VEG people past and present: Carey Priest, Nathan Edwards, Paul Fogarty.

We’re honoured to be considered co-founders of the permablitz movement. There have now been almost 200 blitzes in Melbourne. And the network extends all around the world. Some Hawaiians blitzers were honoured in their parliament last year!

Melbourne Permablitz Collective

The permablitz network in Melbourne is now in very capable hands of the good people of the Melbourne Permablitz Collective (Adam’s still a member).

In April 2016 wonderful Nelson Herrera, one of the key organisers of the early blitzes sent us this lovely audio recording congratulating the permablitz network. Nelson’s now a Latin DJ in Adelaide! (A bit embarrassing that he called us ‘masters of permablitz’ though.)

Well in October the collective organised a kind of fusion blitz and party to celebrate, at the marvellous Peppertree Place in Coburg, with music by the enchanting Orbweavers, chicken poo bingo, lots of workshops and pizza, and a fabulous cake!

10 years of permablitzing

And who made else it? None other than Nelson and several others from those very first blitzes. Here he is still trying to teach Dan how to salsa after all these years.

Nelson Herrara salsa dancing at permablitz 10 birthday party

Here’s some more photos from the day:

You can read some of Dan’s reflections on permablitz and the early days of VEG here.

And get along to an upcoming blitz at permablitz.net.

We sometimes have the great pleasure of being paid to design and facilitate blitzes by councils these days. You can find out more about that here.