Growing an edible, urban ecosystem one backyard at a time
In times of uncertainty and division, it can feel overwhelming to imagine a brighter future. The challenges we face—climate change, social inequity, economic instability—can leave us feeling powerless. But within these difficulties lies an opportunity to reconnect with the systems that sustain us: our land, our communities, and our values. The permaculture principles offer a…
Permaculture Ethics and Design Principles Through its Ethics and Design Principles, permaculture offers a framework for creating sustainable, resilient, and ethical systems—not just in the garden, but in all areas of life. This page is your guide to exploring each principle in depth, with links to individual articles on permaculture design principles and ethics. Why…
The holidays can be a lot. Between the shopping, planning, and family dynamics, stress can easily overshadow joy. But what if the natural world had some wisdom to offer? Permaculture—a design system inspired by nature—might seem like it’s all about gardens and growing food. Yet, its principles are surprisingly useful for navigating holiday chaos. Let’s…
While permaculture is often seen as a common-sense, down-to-earth approach to gardening, its principles can be applied to many other areas of life, possibly even all of them. Opportunities for using permaculture in everyday life—beyond just the garden—are all around us, if you know where to look. We don’t need to use the term “permaculture”…
If you’ve got trees, you’ve got leaves—and probably a lot of them piling up each fall. Instead of bagging them up for the curb, why not turn those leaves into something useful? Learning how to make leaf mold is easy, and it gives you a natural soil conditioner that’ll improve your garden without costing a…
Fall is the perfect time to put your garden’s excess leaves to good use. Instead of raking them up and sending them to the landfill, consider how these natural resources can benefit your garden. By putting fall leaves to use, you can improve soil structure, increase soil fertility, and protect your plants. This guide provides…
Poor soil makes gardening tough. Plants struggle, and yields disappoint. But don’t worry—improving your soil is doable. In this guide, I’ll teach you how to improve garden soil to boost plant health and grow a thriving garden. We’ll cover six steps to transform your soil: Follow these steps, and you’ll turn barren ground into a…
Are your garden plants not growing well? If so, you’ve come to the right place. Gardening is enjoyable and rewarding, but it can be stressful when your plants aren’t thriving. I’ve faced this myself and learned from it over years of growing a garden and a food forest. Here are five common reasons plants struggle…
Discovering squash bug damage on your squash, pumpkin, or any cucurbit plants can be discouraging, but I’m here to help you “squash” your squash bug problem like I did mine. In this post I’ll teach you how to get rid of squash bugs naturally and and make sure those pesky bugs don’t ruin your squash…