Permaculture · Sustainable Living · Circular Farming
Touching the soil
changes everything.
For 10 years I've been transforming my garden with permaculture. Honest notes on rare seeds, cuttings and circular living.
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Low-Maintenance Plant, Quiet Spreader: Four Years of Garden Observation
A plant that asks for almost no care has been growing in my garden for four years and has recently started spreading more aggressively. Here is why such plants can take over and how to keep them in check.
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Kütahya Sour Cherry: A Local Variety, Trouble-Free for Its First Two Years
My 2-year-old Kütahya sour cherry has settled in well, with no signs of disease so far. Why I chose a local variety, my care notes and first observations.
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Comfrey: The Green Manure Master I Brought from Abroad
I have 14 Symphytum officinale plants in my garden — all brought as root cuttings from abroad. The narrow-leafed classic comfrey variety; it attracts bees and feeds the soil. I share what I know about its use as green manure, rapid growth, and contribution to the garden.
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Mistletoe: Parasite or Partner?
The relationship between mistletoe and its host tree cannot be described in a single word. Parasite or partner? Science hasn't given a definitive answer — but what we observe in nature suggests this relationship is far more complex than we think.
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Pawnee Pecan: The First Trial in Sakarya and a Long Wait Ahead
Has anyone planted pecan in Sakarya? I'm trying. 5 Pawnee trees, 1 Choctaw pollinator, 2 years old, no flowers yet. Let's find out together what this newly-discovered fruit in Turkey will do in Sakarya's climate.
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Batumi Autumn Olive: Red Clusters Over the Pond and Harvest Until December
One of the first plants to thrive in the hardest conditions in the garden. With berry-flavored fruit that stays on the branch until late December, nitrogen-fixing roots that improve the soil, and berries that attract birds all winter — Batumi autumn olive is the garden's quiet hero.
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Feijoa Apollo: The Most Effortless Exotic Fruit in Sakarya
Five years in the garden, four years of harvests every autumn. Feijoa Apollo thrives in Sakarya — aromatic, delicious, and one of the rare fruits that needs almost no attention.
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My Garden Warriors: The Ladybug Army Returns Every Autumn
Every October the same scene: the south wall of the house covered in ladybugs. Because I don't spray pesticides, my garden has an army. What are they doing, why are they here, and what happens in spring?
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Kurpfalz Medlar: The Low-Tannin German Variety and the Codling Moth Problem
Four years growing it, now finally fruiting. Kurpfalz medlar barely needs bletting — but codling moth takes most of the crop. The honest reality of growing medlar in Sakarya.
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Alocasia macrorrhizos: 2 Years Stunted Indoors, Giant Outdoors
For two years it barely grew indoors. This year I moved it to a semi-shaded outdoor spot — it exploded. The secret to Alocasia macrorrhizos: the right light, humidity, and pest control.
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Queen Palm: The Tropical Beauty I Brought from the Mediterranean to Sakarya
I bought this Queen Palm from a nursery on the Mediterranean coast two years ago. It spends summers showing off in the garden and winters in my greenhouse. The price of tropical beauty in Sakarya.
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Halhalı Olive: The First Fruit After 4 Years
Four years of waiting, no fruit. This year, two tiny purple olives appeared on the branches. The honest truth about growing Halhalı olive in Sakarya: don't expect a harvest, but do expect beauty.
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My Wild Garden Bed: Cardoon, Pampas Grass and a Lemon Finally in the Ground
After 3 years in a pot, the lemon finally went into the ground this spring. Surrounded by cardoon and pampas grass in a wild garden bed. This is the story of this year's most dramatic corner of the garden.
Read more"Keep the cycle, the future is in your hands."
— HE-QA Garden
Permaculture for me is not just a gardening technique — it's a life philosophy. To repair the soil, keep the cycle and leave a richer nature for future generations. Every seed is a trust, every cutting a hope.
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Letters from the Garden
Seasonal planting calendars, rare plant introductions and permaculture tips. Once a week.