Author: Erin Alladin
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The Principles of Permaculture Made Gardening Accessible for my Chronic Illness and Pain
when I developed debilitating pain and fatigue, I realized that permaculture, which is fundamentally about putting more energy back into the soil than we take out of it, also held the key to making the most of my own limited energy.
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What is the Purpose of a Swale?
There are several kinds of swales with different purposes, which include creating drainage in a conventional landscape design, diverting water to be stored in a pond, and raising the level of the water table.
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Pollenizers: No, they’re not pollinators; yes, you probably need them
gardeners are most likely to come across the word in the context of growing fruit cultivars, many of which need pollen from one of a specific list of other cultivars in order to set fruit. A pollinator, on the other hand, is an insect, bird, or other creature that transfers pollen from one plant to…
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The Differences Between US and Canadian Plant Hardiness Zones
Last Updated November 18, 2023 The United States and Canada each use plant hardiness zones that are similarly labelled with numbers and letters, but the two systems are not the same and they cannot be used interchangeably. The Canadian plant hardiness zones, which range from 0a to 9a, are determined by a variety of climatic…
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Which Dynamic Accumulator Plants are Actually Helpful for your Garden, According to Science?
Popular recommendations of dynamic accumulators include comfrey, amaranth, chickweed, dandelion, chicory, lamb’s quarters, nettles, and many trees; however, new research suggests that we have misidentified some dynamic accumulators. At the same time, new analysis of longstanding USDA data reveals as many as 340 plant species that could be contenders for the title.
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19 Perennial Crops I Have Personally Grown in Ontario
Perennial food crops are fantastic for improving soil, surviving periods of drought or flood, and producing large quantities of food year after year. They are the backbone of any permaculture design. Unfortunately, in a temperate climate, it feels like there are not many perennial options available to us. With the ground frozen and snow-covered for…
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The Facts about Hugelkultur and Nitrogen Immobilization
Hugelkultur is an old German and Eastern European soil-building technique that involves burying logs and growing plants over them while they decompose. Many growers have one major concern when they first learn about it: Will the decomposition of wood in hugelkultur rob the soil of nitrogen and starve the plants? Nitrogen immobilization technically happens in…
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I try winter sowing annual veggies and native perennials in Canada’s Zone 4b
I first heard about winter sowing on the Joe Gardener Show podcast. I was crouched among my tomatoes under a hot July sun when Joe’s guest Trudi Davidoff began speaking about a way for northern gardeners to start seeds in the dead of winter, leave them completely alone in a snowbank until spring, and end…
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Inspiring Regenerative Agriculture Projects Around the World
Humanity has the knowledge and experience to restore landscapes on a massive scale, creating regions where the needs of humans and the needs of ecosystems are met simultaneously and sustainably. Learning about these projects is a powerful way to arm ourselves against feelings of powerlessness, despair, and paralysis. When we know what change is possible,…
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Is Holistic Planned Grazing Relevant to You?
Developed by ecologist Allan Savory to heal particular grassland environments, holistic planned grazing is a method of raising livestock that improves the health of the landscape instead of depleting it. To achieve this, holistic managers graze their animals in patterns that mimic the behaviour of wild herd animals. These patterns, which are characterized by densely…