Food Forests

Permaculture Womens Guild

By HeatherJo Flores Gazpacho is often called a “cold soup” by gringos, but around here, it’s served over ice as an afternoon drink on hot summer days. Delicious and refreshing! Here is a quick rundown of everything you will need to make homegrown gazpacho, followed by a recipe I learned from a Native Andalusian chef. The varietal recommendations are my own, based on my experience and the flavors that I find work best. Tomatoes.Any tomatoes will do but for gazpacho I prefer Roma, Beefsteak and Ox-heart varieties. Or try a combination of San Marzano, Brandywine and any color Ox-heart. Black…

Permaculture Womens Guild

A baker’s dozen of easy to grow and disease-resistant perennial hedge plants. By Heather Jo Flores No garden is complete without a yummy patch of edible, perennial shrubbery! Even a small garden can squeeze in a few brambles, berries or ‘chokes. To create a low-maintenance food forest with a year-round harvest and multiple layers of plants, a mid-sized perennial understory is an essential piece of the design. Shrubs connect the canopy to the ground and create habitats for birds and insects. The shrub layer also shelters smaller plants and creates boundaries and microclimates. ​I picked a baker’s dozen of the best…

Permaculture Womens Guild

By Heather Jo Flores Most basic pruning, especially on young trees that haven’t been previously damaged or badly pruned, can be done by anyone with some basic information Should I Stay or Should I Go? The main reason for fruit tree pruning is to increase air circulation, which protects against insect infestation and disease. An air-congested tree will also stop fruiting, so it generally makes sense to remove anything that is growing toward the center for a better flow. But before you start hacking branches, try this simple system for figuring out what to cut and why. Follow the Leaders…

Permaculture Womens Guild

group plants together for specific reasons, encourage them to spread into permanent, self-managing landscapes

Permaculture Womens Guild

A curated collection of top-notch permaculture books by women you might not have heard about.

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…

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…