Seed saving for beginners

Permaculture Womens Guild

Whether you are an old expert at seed stewardship or a new gardener with a budding curiosity, saving seeds from your home garden to grow and share can be one of the most rewarding experiences of the season. By Heather Jo Flores This old-world skill is best learned experientially, and within a community of fellow seedpeople. But here are some tips to get you started, even if you only have a small garden. Selection Some plants are much easier for beginners. This has less to do with ease of harvest than with whether or not the plant needs a large or…

On permaculture, entitlement, and that pesky third ethic: all aboard the elephant in the room

Permaculture Womens Guild

By Heather Jo Flores “Contact with the soil reminds us that we are an integral part of nature, rather than feeling shut out and excluded. The simple acts of growing and eating our own food, recreating habitats in which nature’s diversity thrives, and taking steps to live more simply are practical ways of living which connect us to an awareness of Nature’s seamless whole. Permaculture is a spiritual reconnection as well as an ecological strategy.” — Maddy Harland. What is permaculture? Strictly speaking, “Permaculture” is a combination of the words “permanent” and “agriculture,” spliced together, and used to describe a methodology for…