Category: Starting a Garden
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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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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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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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Can You Eat Rose Petals Raw?
While most parts of a rose can be prepared as food, the petals are a sweet snack when simply picked and eaten raw. Roses have been grown as food for millennia, and are still an everyday part of people’s diets in many Middle-Eastern countries as well as Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan.
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Edible Flowers: Are They Vegetables?
Botanically speaking, flowers are a feature that draw pollinators in to an access point where they can fertilize the plant’s ovary. The petals themselves are actually a kind of modified leaf. And flowers are indeed classed as a vegetable. Except for fruits and seeds, any part of a plant which is eaten by humans is…
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15 Things I Learned Through Practicing the Permaculture Principle of Observation for One Month
I have only been living on my current property for about a month, so observation during this time has been crucial. The land has revealed treasures I never expected, from berry shrubs to carpets of the wildflower called “spring beauty”. To inspire you in your own observation practice, here are fifteen useful things I have…
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Gardening With Sun Traps and Sun Scoops
When gardeners and permaculturists talk about a “sun trap” (or “sun scoop,”) they mean a landscape feature that catches solar rays throughout the day and blocks the coldest winds. The term can be used for naturally sheltered pockets created by chance, but it also refers to carefully crafted horseshoe-shaped design features. A human-created sun trap…