Growing an edible, urban ecosystem one backyard at a time
Latest Posts
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The Many Remarkable Benefits of a Pergola
Want to transform your backyard into a functional and inviting space that aligns with sustainable design principles? Consider adding a pergola—an attractive and versatile structure that can enhance your outdoor living experience in multiple ways. In this post, we’ll explore the benefits of a pergola from a permaculture perspective, considering practicality, functionality, and thoughtful design.…
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5 More Fast Growing Plants to Quickly Establish Your Forest Garden
Welcome back. It’s time for part two of this fast growing plants series. If you haven’t already, check out part one, Five Fantastic Fast Growing Plants to Kickstart Your Food Forest. Today we’ll cover five more fast growing plants to help your perennial garden or food forest to fill in quickly. As with part one,…
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Permaculture Principles in Everyday Life: Part 3 – Principles 7, 8, & 9
Welcome to Part 3 of this four-part series on the twelve principles of permaculture in everyday life. In Part 3, I’ll cover the seventh, eighth, and ninth principles of permaculture, which are ‘Design from Pattern to Detail,’ ‘Integrate Rather than Segregate,’ and ‘Use Small and Slow Solutions.‘ I’ll go over each principle, giving a brief…
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Growing Raspberries, the Ruby of the Permaculture Garden
Raspberries take center stage this month, both on the blog and in many of our gardens. Growing raspberries is one of my favorite parts of summer. July is the month these little jewels shine the brightest in my garden, and since they’re one of the yummiest harvests I’m bringing inside these days, I wanted to…
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Five Fantastic Fast-Growing Plants to Kick-Start Your Food Forest
Are you looking to create a thriving food forest or edible perennial garden? Starting with fast growing plants will provide you with some quick successes to get your garden off to a strong start. These resilient plants will rapidly establish themselves and provide you with abundant foliage or harvests in the first or second year.…
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Saskatoon Berry: Beautiful and Useful Plant of Many Names
Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.), commonly known as Juneberry or saskatoon berry, offers a highly nutritious berry, adaptability, and multi-season ornamental appeal. This large shrub or tree, native to North America, thrives in various sunlight, water, and soil conditions, making it a versatile addition to many gardens. The fruits, particularly the saskatoon berry (Amelanchier alnifolia), have gained…
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Year-Round Gardening to Level Up Your Food Security
When it comes to our food, having security and peace of mind is crucial, especially in uncertain times. We all want access to nutritious meals without worrying about shortages or fluctuating food prices. This is why year-round gardening is gaining popularity. Growing your own vegetables, fruits, and herbs is a rewarding way to increase your…
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From Waste to Gold: Urban Composting Techniques That Actually Work
Composting is a powerful way to reduce waste and create valuable soil amendments, but if you live in an urban environment, the composting struggle is real. Whether you have limited space, odor concerns, problems with gnats, flies, or other pests, or are limited by your HOA or other neighborhood regulations, the limitations that come with…
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Maypop (A Hardy Passionflower): Underappreciated Gem of the Garden
What better plant to talk about this month than the Maypop? A hardy perennial vine, also known as wild passionflower, or apricot vine, the Maypop passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) is a southeastern United States native admired for its intricate purple flowers, interesting foliage, and tropical-like fruit. Permaculture gardens are designed to be self-sufficient, regenerative, mini ecosystems…
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A Practical Spring Garden Checklist for the Urban Food Forest
Spring is in full swing and if you’re like me, you have no shortage of chores in the yard and garden. It can be daunting to keep track of everything that needs doing for your garden, yard, or food forest. That’s why I’ve made this Spring Garden Checklist. I wanted a list of everything to…