Health, Hope & Happiness
Well, it’s a damned crazy world out there.
On one hand, things haven’t really changed all that much for me. I have been working from home as a freelance graphic designer for the last 10 years, so it’s not great hardship for me to stay home. I actually prefer it. Continue reading “The world is changing; build a vegetable garden”
AND! There is a contest on to win a HUGE gob of seeds and seed starting pods, and more!
AND AND! They have weekly draws for super prizes!
Just ignore that stuff below. It was regarding the temporary closure of the shop, due to being swamped with business due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and people realizing that they need to have more control over their food. And that’s a good thing. : )
In my past articles, I have suggested that you can buy vegetable seeds online from Seeds Now!
I have just found out that they are not accepting orders at this time. They are swamped with orders that they are trying to fulfill,. You can sign-up to be emailed when they are once again taking orders.
And it looks like most other seed companies are in the same boat. Botanical Interests in the US is still taking orders, although they say their delivery times are a bit slower than usual.
West Coast Seeds in Canada (where I buy my seeds) is also reporting slower delivery times – up to 45 days! And I’m sure it’s the same all over.
Many local nurseries are offering online, email or phone ordering, and curbside pick-up. That way you can support a local business, without the risks of in-store shopping. I think that’s a great way to help your local economy and keep small businesses afloat during these difficult times.
Tempting as it might be to order your seeds online, the delays could put you past your local planting times. So it might be worth your while to phone your local nurseries to see if they are offering curbside pick-up, and support them with your business.
I hope everyone is staying home and staying safe.
Health, Hope & Happiness
Tracy
Permaculture advocates creating stable food systems that are resilient in the face of changing weather patterns. Perennial vegetables are excellent to incorporate into your permaculture garden. They add a layer of stability to your garden, and help ensure that there will always be something to harvest. Continue reading “13 perennial vegetables list, resilient and stable food crops”
A food forest is the Holy Grail of permaculture. It’s what so many of us aspire to when we think of the ultimate home food system. It is a system that not only feeds humans and animals, but it can provide for other needs as well, such as crafting and building. It is a stable and long-term system that provides a wide variety of foods, with a minimum of input. Continue reading “What is a permaculture food forest, and how do I get one?”
So far on this site I have concentrated on the gardening aspect of permaculture. But there really is so much more to it. Permaculture is a term that encompasses the designing of entire human habitations, whether they be city lots, small homesteads, large farms, or whole communities. Continue reading “What is permaculture design, and how can I use it?”
Lawns are kind of boring, don’t you think? Especially front lawns. How often do you actually see anyone on their front lawn, except when they’re mowing it? Not very often. People are much more likely to hang out in their backyards. Continue reading “Lawn to garden: taking control of your food”
You probably think that in order to have a garden you need to have a large flat piece of land with the ideal amount of sun, perfect soil, a rototiller, and any number of tools and amendments. Well…you don’t.
If you have even the smallest yard, you can grow food. If you have some containers, boxes, or anything that will hold soil, you can grow food. And you don’t need any special equipment. Continue reading “Vegetable garden ideas: 7 ways to take advantage of all the space in your yard to grow food”
While the main goal of a vegetable garden is obviously to grow vegetables, there are other things to grow that will benefit the garden. A variety of herbs and flowers can improve yields by attracting beneficial insects to the garden, and protecting your plants. Continue reading “Herbs and flowers: natural pest control for the garden”
Starting your first permaculture vegetable garden can feel a bit daunting. You’ve been taught by convention that to build a garden you need expensive equipment to till up the soil; and lots of stuff like fertilizers, pesticides, and other manmade garden inputs. Well, I’m here to tell you, it doesn’t have to be that way. Continue reading “How to start a vegetable garden for beginners: the quick and easy way”
Sometimes there just isn’t any room to grow an in-ground garden. You might be living in an apartment, or renting where you can’t build a garden. But you can have a garden if you have space to put on some pots in a sunny area.
Container gardening is like using raised beds – they’re just very small raised beds. You can grow just about anything in a pot, but there are a few things to consider. Continue reading “Vegetable container gardening ideas”