Mulch Much? The Benefits of Mulching

Permaculture Womens Guild

By Heather Jo Flores It’s always a good day for mulching your garden! Mulch builds humus. The word “human” comes from the same roots as humus, meaning earth, and in fact our bodies do contain many of the same elements and microorganisms as fertile organic soil. Soil health is linked to our own health, and soil communities bear remarkable resemblance to the flora and fauna in our own guts. A diverse, thriving intestinal community keeps us humans healthy, and the same goes for the soil ecosystem. The Benefits of Mulch ​A layer of mulch, whether up around perennials and fruit trees or…

Plant a Living Playhouse with Sunflowers

Permaculture Womens Guild

By Heather Jo Flores Grow a place for the kids to play! It’s the middle of May and time to plant sunflowers! There are many beautiful varieties to choose from, and they are easy to grow — just work up a spot in the soil, poke some holes with your fingers, and toss the seeds inside. Generally, the more space you leave between them, the larger the sunflowers will grow. My favorite varieties are the Tarahumara heirlooms, with their giant white-seeded flowers and multi-headed, long-living plants. If you have kids, try growing a living playhouse out of sunflowers and scarlet runner beans. Even…

A Long Way Home

Permaculture Womens Guild

By Helen iles It’s early morning. The sun is already flooding the woodland scene outside my window, when a robin hops onto the patio table and appears to look up at me. “It’s a beautiful spring day!” he seems to say. “Get up!” But I’m warm up in my cozy platform bed in the rafters, and that sunlight is deceptive. I take another sip of tea, snuggle closer to Husband and tell myself I’ll just read one more chapter… My relationship with home is a deep one. I grew up in Wales and brought up my son in one of…