As you probably know, permaculture is a holistic approach to - among other things - gardening and land use that aims to create sustainable and self-sufficient ecosystems. It can be applied to any type of landscape, including urban environments. Because of this, it is becoming an increasingly popular way to re-green cities and create more resilient natural communities within an urban context. But how can permaculture be incorporated into existing urban landscapes? Let's explore some strategies for doing just that. Start small: Permaculture can seem overwhelming at first, but it helps to start s ..read more

Photo by Francesco Gallarotti on Unsplash In the northern hemisphere in January, plant interactions are restricted to houseplant care or visiting a nursery with a heated greenhouse. Even though I can't get outside and work on a favorite permaculture project, it is a great time for learning about design ideas. Many people live in areas where access to growing space is limited. Happily, there are a variety of techniques that can be used to create productive and biodiverse permaculture gardens, even in small spaces. Here are a few examples to get you started: Vertical gardening: One way ..read more

I recently moved to a new location where, circumstances being what they were, I ended up with much less space on the premises to implement permaculture projects. This situation has caused me to look more into not just which kinds of projects are feasible for urban sites, but also which permaculture principles are most applicable to site designs for urban locations. I ended up with a list of eleven different design principles. It didn't really surprise me that so many seem to fit well for urban design - permaculture principles are inherently very adaptable to many different environments. I beli ..read more

Long time, no post. Sorry 'bout that. Life has been crazy as only life can be. At any rate, I thought that now would be a good time to inform my readers that I am no longer reside in Utah with a small suburban plot. I have relocated to a small (~11 acres) country farm in Kansas. I am more or less in the same hardiness zone, strangely enough, but the growing season is (according to what the locals tell me) much longer. And, being out in the country with eleven acres, I have a bit more space with which to play around and on. :-) We are working to rehabilitate the farm: it was previously a priva ..read more

Is maintaining your own beehive worth the time, cost, and effort? Keeping bees can be a rewarding experience, but it does require a significant investment of tie and money. Here are a few things to consider when deciding whether to start beekeeping: Time commitment: Keeping bees requires regular maintenance and monitoring. You will need to check on your hives regularly to ensure that the bees have enough food, that they are healthy, and that the hive is free of pests and diseases. This can be a time-consuming task, especially during the busy seasons of spring and summer. Cost: Starting a bee ..read more

I am often engrossed in the plants that I have growing in my yard, as well as the plants that are growing the yards around mine. Most of that contemplation falls back to trying to determine how to acquire my own samples of the neat specimens that I have noticed in my neighbors' yards. However, upon reflection, I wanted to just list out what plants I have in my own yard that produce fruit, if for no other reason than to recognize just how far the yard has come since I first started "fixing" it after moving in over five years ago. Trees Apple - no idea what kind. It is a mature, standard apple ..read more

Soil structure refers to the way in which soil particles are arranged and how they aggregate together to form larger clumps or peds. This structure can have a big effect on how well crops grow and thrive. Here's why: First of all, soil structure can affect how much water and nutrients are available to plants. Soils with good structure tend to have better water-holding capacity and drainage, which means that plants have an easier time accessing the water and nutrients they need. Soils with poor structure, on the other hand, may be prone to compaction or erosion, which can make it harder for pla ..read more

 I recently finished reading Dale Strickler's book, The Drought Resilient Farm. Much of his focus was on the midwest portion of the USA. And there is a good deal about how to provide for livestock, especially cattle, during droughts. However, as I read I realized that Dale knows a lot about how to prepare the soil to be capable of supporting crops during dry times. And even more than that, explaining how to help the land provide enough moisture for plants, whether those plants are crops or pasture, was actually his main intent. Source Here are my key takeaways from Dale's book on ..read more

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) Field of sunflowers - Source Sunflowers are well-known by most people. You can often see them in fields that you pass as you drive along. Many people will grow a few in a garden. Let's explore the benefits of these North American natives. Edible - flower buds, petals, seeds, sprouts ← especially tasty! Bird friendly - birds love to perch on sunflowers once the stalks begin to stiffen. They also love to peck out the seeds in late summer and fall. FYI, there will be a lot of sunflowers coming up in that spot in the spring because more seeds tend to f ..read more

There are a lot of plants in urban/suburban areas, and throughout North America and the world for that matter, that are common weeds. However, many of these plants have good uses. Since they are hardy enough to be labeled as weeds, you know that they would require little work on your part to get them established. And when they are in the right place, they can be quite beneficial. In fact, a weed is really, as David Holmgren puts it, just "a plant out of place" (http://holmgren.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/PPQ-26-issue-3-2011-Weeds.pdf). Weeds are pioneer species doing what pioneers do: mo ..read more