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A few years ago my family and me started witht he goal of doing right by our land at our village, a barren plot with single digit trees of a patch of 5 acres. We didn’t have much knowledge, just a desire to do right by the land. That’s when we stumbled upon permaculture, a philosophy rooted in designing systems that are regenerative, resilient, and deeply truth seeking. Today, that small experiment has evolved into an early-stage food forest system.
We’ve been documenting the journey, the experiments, the successes, and the many failures. And now we’ve finally put it all in one place:
On Monday, our garden was included in the HPSO Study Weekend. This is a four-day event that includes speakers, plant/art sales and garden tours. The event rotates every two years between the cities of Portland, Seattle, Victoria B.C. and Vancouver B.C. It will be 2033 before Portland hosts again.
I toured the Portland gardens on Friday and Saturday and will share some photos in my next post. The weather was perfect on those days. Not so much on Monday, the day for the Vancouver, Washington gardens tour, and by late afternoon, the temperature had reached 94. However, it wasn’t too bad in the first part of the day, and that’s when we received the most visitors. We didn’t have an exact count, but making an estimate based on our guestbook, I would say around 200 people. It was a hectic but fun day! We had a lot of visitors from Seattle and areas north of us as attendees were making their way home.
Every time we open our garden, there is always one or two plants that everybody asks about. My mind usually goes blank when asked about a specific plant. This time, I had the foresight to save a copy of my inventory list on my phone. Still, that list is about sixteen pages long and unless you have an inkling of what letter the name begins with, it isn’t much use. Fortunately, I was able to answer most questions with the exception of the last plant on this list so I hope the people who asked about it, will see the answer here.
These are the plants that got the most questions –
At the top of the page is Galega ‘Lady Wilson’ (Goat’s Rue). I love this perennial. It is very special as it was a gift from Lucy Hardiman, who sadly passed last year. This plant is often mistaken for a lupine. It does resemble one with pale blue and white flowers on 4′ stalks with ferny foliage.
More –
Stachys ‘Hummelo’
I knew there would be questions about Stachys ‘Hummelo’ (Betony) which has been a blooming dynamo for weeks now. This has been a good year for it.
Symphoricarpos (Coral Berry)
“What is the plant that is swarming with bees?” I knew immediately what they were referring to. It is Symphoricarpos (Coral Berry or Proud Berry). It is about 2 feet tall and the berries are just beginning. They will gradually begin to change to a bright pink color. I’ve not witnessed this plant spreading as vigorously as the native white-berried snowberry, but I’m told that it can spread.
Betula pendula ‘Trost’s Dwarf” (Dwarf Birch)
This little tree always gets comments. ‘Trost’s Dwarf’ birch (Betula pendula) is about 6 feet tall and resembles a laceleaf maple. That is the smoke tree ‘Royal Purple’ behind it.
Sequoias are not always monsters. Sequoiasempervirens ‘Kelly’s Prostrate’ is about five years old. It is beginning to grow larger but still quite small.
Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Summer Crush’
I was thankful that hydrangeas were blooming because almost all of our roses were finished. ‘Summer Crush’, an entry in the “Endless Summer” series, has always been a spectacular plant. That said, it doesn’t match the description which gives a height of 1.5 – 3 feet and boasting raspberry blooms. Our blooms have always been blue and it is at least 5 feet tall. I don’t think it was mislabeled although there is always that possibility.
Inula orientalis (Georgian Fleabane)
And finally, the plant that always stumps me. On Monday, I could not even think of the letter it begins with – I! It is Inula orientalis (Georgian Fleabane). The fuzzy leaves attract attention. It is not blooming yet (the flowers will come in late July), but here it is from last August –
Thanks to all who braved the heat and visited our little paradise. I hope you had a good time!
These things have been growing like crazy, all from when I dumped out a container in the yard. They’ve survived multiple weed whackings and several hard winters. Nice way to get fruit.
I live in KY, zone 6b, and would like to propagate my goumi shrubs. I tried rooting cuttings in soil with rooting hormone in early spring, and had zero success. Would like to try softwood cuttings in water. Has anyone has success with this? Also any advice on successful hardwood propagation? I think I did it in March. Was that too late? Is July a good time to take softwood cuttings for water propagation? I’m not too keen to try rooting the softwood in soil because I doubt I’ll be able to keep the humidity just right. Would love anyone’s experience with this, especially in similar climate zone.
Looking to do something with this awesome stump. We moved into the house in November. We get lion’s mane regularly on it. Further back, you can see I’ve got two swales… beginning to establish some storm water runoff. Did a quick mow but left it shaggy around the stump. I’d love to plant PA natives around it. Maybe strawberries and blueberries. Have a lot of other berry bushes elsewhere. I’ve never worked around a tree stump. Are there plants you recommend, or advice for planting around a stump? Thanks!
From practical AI adoption to advancements in crop protection, here are just a few of the lively presentations to expect as you plan your Cultivate experience.
Hey everyone! I’m located in Florida and currently working on transforming my yard into something more sustainable over time. In the meantime, I need to keep things tidy and manageable.
Does anyone here have recommendations for a reliable, eco-conscious lawn mowing or yard maintenance service in Florida? Ideally, I’m looking for a company or individual who understands or at least respects permaculture principles, minimal chemical use, thoughtful about grass clippings, etc.
Appreciate any leads or local suggestions. Thanks in advance!
