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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Dasylirion longissimum: The Drought-Defying, Winter-Hardy Landscape Statement
Dasylirion longissimum — Mexican Grass Tree — is one of the most structurally striking drought-tolerant plants for the garden. At HE-QA Garden it sails through summer heat and Sakarya winters with no fuss at all.
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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.
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Aloe arborescens: Can It Overwinter in Sakarya?
I collected Aloe arborescens cuttings from a roadside in Kaş and rooted them. Now the real question: can they survive winter outdoors in Sakarya? A field experiment begins.
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Autumn Mushroom Guide: Learning to Identify What Grows in My Garden
Every autumn, mushrooms appear overnight in the garden. Learning to identify them is both fascinating and potentially life-saving. A beginner's guide to common autumn mushrooms, with safety rules.
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Black Kale: The Winter Vegetable That Feeds the Table All Season
Black kale grown from saved seed, harvested all winter long. It gets sweeter after frost, and makes the best stuffed cabbage leaves.
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Luffa: How to Grow Your Own Natural Bath Sponge
From garden to bathroom: grow your own luffa and make a natural bath sponge. The fully biodegradable alternative to plastic sponges, and surprisingly easy to produce.
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.