Always Growing Design

03/24/2025

For those of you planning your fruiting gardens, here's one of my videos on how to do it well and what information you will need:

It's not all maps and solar readers, there is a lot of forethought that goes into planning a good fruit bearing garden. This week Laura has the ultimate how-...

03/14/2025

First blooming fruit tree of the year - Cornelian cherry! Cornus mas, a member of the dogwood family (!), produces pie cherry-like fruits that drop off my tree during the first week of October, and the blooms start in late February.. Early to bloom, late to ripen - ya gotta love a plant that celebrates the extremes of our growing climate!

09/03/2022

GREAT witchy market today till 4pm at the Centralia Skate Park! Come support these magikal vendors!

12/18/2020

An insightful and deep exploration of the power of gift economy from a cross-cultural and bio-mimicry perspective. Nature has already perfected this system! Let's catch this moving train, shall we?

As Robin Wall Kimmerer harvests serviceberries alongside the birds, she considers the ethic of reciprocity that lies at the heart of the gift economy.

11/02/2020

Designing to recover community health as well as soil health!

They are using heritage farming practices to undo some of the damage brought on by decades of intense tillage by early European settlers.

08/22/2020

An exciting article containing a good overview of the value and potential of perennial vegetables! It also features one of the PNW's hard-working permaculture teachers, Marisha Auerbach!

A new study shows the nutrition and environmental benefits of more than 600 perennial species—from artichokes to chaya—which address climate mitigation, biodiversity, and nutrition.

07/21/2019

"In 2011, 51% of Russia's food was grown either by dacha communities (40%), like those pictured left in Sisto-Palkino, or peasant farmers (11%) leaving the rest (49%) of production to the large agricultural enterprises. But when you dig down into the earthy data from the Russian Statistics Service you discover some impressive details. Again in 2011, dacha gardens produced over 80% of the countries fruit and berries, over 66% of the vegetables, almost 80% of the potatoes and nearly 50% of the nations milk, much of it consumed raw."

In 2011 the dacha gardens of Russia produced 40% of the nation's food, over 80% of its fruit and 66% of its vegetables.

07/06/2019

Just discovered the 8shields.org website and programs for village-building and reingagement with the patterns of nature. Powerful Invisible Structure goodness!

 ​Rebuilding Nature-Connected Communities, ​World-wide ​​​​Receive 8 Shields email updates including free online trainings with Jon Young, articles, upcoming events and more. Get started here with our free series on Activating Connection: A Global Movement in Rebuilding Nature-C...

04/09/2019

A great model for development all over the world:

Visit the post for more.

09/11/2018

Here comes 2018 NW Permaculture Convergence! End of the month, Sept 28-30th, is when all the magic happens. I am lead coordinator for this year's event, and I hope you can come and enjoy the camping, workshops, meals and general camaraderie: www.northwestpermaculture.org I would like to see YOU there!

08/20/2018

Such good news! Planting trees is the easiest, fastest way for each of us to sequester carbon, hold moisture in our soils and stabilize climate change. What trees are you planning to plant this year?

Farmers in Niger are nurturing gao trees to drive Africa’s biggest environmental change

08/14/2018

For our Seattle customers and friends - here is an amazing list of local resources of all kinds!

See the amazing array of other urban agriculture groups and food blogs in the Seattle area, plus a look at the regional Tilth network.