Her backyard now resembles a miniature farm, offering vegetables, fruit and even eggs for the dinner table.

On the first Saturday of this month, Ms Henkel's Seddon home was the scene of a "permablitz", with 20 people working together to rip up the paving and replace it with an abundance of greenery.

"It was all concrete. It was completely overwhelming," she said.

"It just took some people with inspirational ideas."

Ms Henkel is a member of Permaculture Out West, a new western suburbs gardening group that follows the principles of permaculture.

"People want to make a difference to their lives and the planet," she said.

"We hear on the news that we are running out of water, there is global warming, we are damaging the planet.

"It's so negative. But there's a solution that is relatively easy with a little community effort and spirit.

"It is better to be positive and have a couple of chooks and grow your own fruit and vegies."

Ms Henkel, who has completed a permaculture design course, said "permablitzes" were about sustainability in the suburbs.

"It is working with nature to have a lighter footprint on the earth. It's reducing your use of fossil fuels and water."

Her garden is nearly self-sufficient, with three 2200-litre rainwater tanks and the chooks eating food scraps.

Ms Henkel, who lives with her partner, David Antin, and children Zak, 2, and Marly, 5, said the new garden was helping the family connect with the community as they shared eggs with neighbours and passers-by picked bush-tucker plants on the footpath.

She said permaculture was increasingly popular in the west, with many people attending workshops ranging from worm composting to edible weeds.

Ms Henkel encouraged amateur green thumbs to attend a couple of "permablitzes" for the opportunity to have their own garden "extreme-makeover". Previous blitzes have been held in Moonee Ponds and Yarraville since the group was established in July.

Details: www.permablitz.net