My mother graced us with enormous creativity and talent. She sang in and directed operas, taught young singers how to act and direct, wrote a book about how to teach opera, and decorated her home with paintings she made and mosaic tables she assembled. She loved vibrant colors everywhere, and huge vases full of
How Do Plants Support Each Other in a Permaculture Tree Guild? Identifying the layers of tree guild plants is just the first step in designing a Permaculture tree guild. The second step, identifying the role that each plant plays, is just as important. Let’s examine the various functions that each plant can fulfill.
What is a Tree Guild in a Permaculture Garden, and why have one? If you’re looking for a way to get the maximum yield out of a small permaculture garden space, a tree guild permaculture design is a great way to start. What is a Tree Guild? A tree guild is a group
If you’re looking for a way to get the maximum yield out of a small permaculture garden space, a tree guild permaculture design is a great way to start. What is a Tree Guild? A tree guild is a group of plants placed around a primary food producing species, such as an apple tree,
Foraging violets takes me straight back to my childhood, not just to real events that occurred, but also to the dreams I had as a little girl. When I was little, one of my favorite things to do in spring was to find a shady spot under a fruit tree, brush my hands over
Foraging Conifers is Permaculture if done right. When most people think of Permaculture, they think of lush polycultures, chicken yards, tree guilds, or perhaps water catchment. One thing that most people don’t associate with Permaculture is foraging, but foraging, if it’s done ethically, is definitely an element of a Permaculture system. An important goal
The time has come to talk about chickens and what they can eat. A chicken is a wonderful animal. She will eat many of your kitchen scraps and spent plants and weeds, while producing not only eggs, but also nutritious manure for the garden, feathers, and hours of silly entertainment. A chicken can also
If we look around us, we can see evidence of environmental degradation. We might see a stand of trees that has been chopped down. We might have friends or relatives who have lost their homes or towns to a wildfire. Perhaps we hear about the extinction of a species we know and love. Now
For many years I waged war in my garden. I dug dandelions out of my lawn, using a tool called Grandpa’s Weeder, and I made huge piles of wilting Sheep’s Sorrel, which slowly dried up in a distant corner by the big pine tree. Every summer my back complained, and every spring the weeds returned
It’s that time of year! The time when I take stock of my seed supplies and decide what to plant, when to plant, and where to plant. In past years, I’ve usually planted whatever I wanted, just for the joy of tasting new varieties and species, but these days I’m feeling external pressure to anticipate
