This is no ordinary backyard filled with uniform shrubs, nor religiously mowed each Saturday afternoon before the broadcasted game. This is a place where the soil remains true and the plants shape-shift with the seasons. It is dry yet lush; windswept yet calming. It’s made to be lived in, to be wildcrafted with and to be engaged with in reciprocity . It’s also made to be an example to others of the miracles possible when we return to our roots. This is a landscape, rewild.
Read MoreWelcome to my pit of despair. I say that with a cheeky grin and a bit of sarcasm, but not much. Full transparency: this patch is just one of many dreadfully hideous spots on this land. In an effort to dispel any myths about a perfect garden (or hence a perfect life) that I may have inadvertently construed through my blogging, I’m here to unearth the reality.
Read MoreAs this season of rising and restless energy matures into the bright season of vitality, I’m here with an update. Despite the hardships, there is still an abundance of beauty and good things that grow.
Read MoreIt’s seemed like a long time coming, but we’ve finally planted trees along our northern border. After considering and imagining countless trees and tall shrubs of all varieties, I elected to plant a dozen Green Giant Arborvitae trees. This hedge of trees is already transforming the feeling in our backyard and I can’t wait to watch them grow together in the coming years. After so many long days of toiling, moments like this make rewilding this land all worth it.
Read MoreInstalling a regenerative orchard is a process that requires a foundation of knowledge. It would be foolhardy to plant any ol’e fruit tree in any ol’e patch of land, so I’m sharing some of my best master gardener tips to help you learn how to plant fruit trees.
Read MoreFor those that aren’t obsessed with gardening, it may come as a shock to learn that it is absolutely necessary to shop for seeds in January. However, January is truly the best time to shop for seeds preceding any spring gardening activities. Purchasing seeds early helps us plan our kitchen gardens appropriately and schedule out the best days to sow seeds before seed-starting season arrives in March.
Read MoreWeeding has become an essential self-soothing routine these weeks at home lately. On the worst of days it’s a task to distract me. Other days it feels more like a sacred meditation, or an intimate dialog between me and Her. In this therapy session with nature, she reminds me that things are not always as they seem. Labels are deceiving. A “weed”, after all, is only a flower growing in a place where someone doesn’t want it.
Read MoreGrowing our own food to be more self-sustaining has never been more important than it is right now. During these fearful times of this evolving economic and pandemic crisis, knowing that I could grow all of my household’s food if necessary gives me great comfort. If you are anything like me, you are dying to get seeds into the ground in as soon as possible so your family can be that much closer to eating delicious home-grown veggies. Knowing what to plant and when can be overwhelming as a beginner gardener, but I’m here to demystify this process, share my best tips as a master gardener, and help you get your dream kitchen garden started.
Read MoreWhen I add a new tool to my collection, I’m not just buying a tool to get the job done, I’m buying an extension to my hands that will garden and forage with me for the rest of my life. These tools will become my allies and comrades in all my ventures, and so I regard tool buying as one of my most important gardening and foraging tasks. Nevertheless the sheer amount of tools on the market can be overwhelming. Knowing what tool is best for what job, or learning what tool can help make many tasks easier takes time and experience. So I’ve compiled a guide to share the gardening and foraging tools that I cannot work without. And I’ve shared what tasks I use them for, too.
Read MoreSeasonal living, and the artful practice of connecting nature, is tonic for the body and soul. It is all about taking care to notice the delicate transformations in our environment as they happen through the year and adjusting the way we live in response. It’s about being more in tune with each of the micro seasons that fall within a single year and the life cycles of the flora and fauna that inhibit our ecosystems. It’s about growing our awareness of the interconnectedness of all beings and engaging in communication with nature.
Read MoreThe primordial pull to gather, preserve, stock up, and nest before the first Winter storm is very strong. Autumn, with it’s cooler temperatures, presents the perfect time to do our best gardening work. It is the work that prepares our garden for the following growing season. Here are my fall gardening tips:
Read MoreIn springtime, the sound of trickling water signals the snow melting in the warmth of a brighter sun. The smell of damp earth indicates the thawing of the ground. The first fuzzy buds begin to form and shoots of green peek through the soil. The energy of life, and possibility, is palpable. Here are my spring gardening tips…
Read MoreAs we stride into high summer, I look forward to reveling in all the abundance that comes with a summer harvest. I’ll fill my basket until it’s heavy laden with ready garden ingredients. Then, I’ll dine al fresco on all of this delicious organic goodness. Here’s my midsummer garden harvest (and how I’ve grown them) that will soon be adorning my plates for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
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