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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Jerusalem Artichoke: The Most Effortless and Delicious Plant of Autumn
While the last yellow flowers of autumn bloom, delicious tubers are ripening underground. Jerusalem artichoke is one of the most effortless plants in our garden — once planted, it renews itself for years. We use it both cooked and pickled.
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Air Layering: The Propagation Method I Learned from an Accident
A trimmer accident that stripped the bark of my pomegranate led me to discover air layering. By summer's end, beautiful roots had formed. I now use this method every year on jujube, magnolia and silk tree.
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Halina Jujube: The Easiest Fruit Tree I Added to My Garden
One of the first fruit trees I added to my garden, the Halina jujube exceeded all my expectations. Easy to care for and perfectly suited to the Sakarya climate.
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Pampas Grass: My Garden's Majestic but Invasive Guest
The pampas grass I added for landscaping puts on a spectacular show every autumn with its massive feathery plumes. But I should be clear: this plant is invasive and aggressive. I'm growing it until the other plants establish, then I'll decide what to do.
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What Is Reuben Blackberry? Taste, Harvest Season, and Growing Guide
I first mistook this blackberry's name for a raspberry cultivar, but research showed it's actually a patented blackberry developed by the University of Arkansas. Thanks to its primocane trait, it fruits on a new cane every year.
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Is Kousa Dogwood Fruit Edible? Taste, Seeds, and Ornamental Value
I planted Cornus kousa after finding it listed as an edible plant on PFAF, and got my first fruit this year. It turned out very seedy - but its ornamental value in the garden is beyond question. Origin, taste, care, and cold hardiness, all here.
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What Is Myrtle (Murt)? Growing, Uses, and Harvest Time
I planted this fragrant Mediterranean shrub in my garden. From its origin to my experience in Sakarya, from fruit taste to cold hardiness - everything you need to know about myrtle.
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Che Fruit Has Ripened: The First Harvest of the Bumpy Pink Fruit
The fruit on our che tree (Maclura tricuspidata) ripened this year, and we started picking and eating it. It tastes somewhere between mulberry and fig, with a sweet, juicy interior hiding under that bumpy red skin.
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Eryngium Yuccifolium 'Magical Silver Globe': The Drought-Tolerant Perennial I Brought From Sweden
This plant I found and brought back from a nursery in Sweden is Eryngium yuccifolium 'Magical Silver Globe' - a multi-purpose perennial with silvery, globe-shaped flower heads. Its deep taproot lets it stay standing even through drought.
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Chinese Yam: The Vine's Real Identity - Not Apios, But a Cinnamon-Scented Yam
I initially mistook this vine for Apios, but its real identity turned out to be Chinese Yam (Dioscorea polystachya). The bead-like growths in the photo aren't dug from soil - they're aerial bulbils forming at the leaf axils. It's an interesting edible plant, but one that also needs careful handling.
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Pawpaw: Our Kentucky Champion Gave Its First Ripe Fruit - A Flavor Between Banana, Pineapple, and Pudding
We ate ripe fruit from our pawpaw tree for the first time this year - the cultivar is Kentucky Champion. The flavor was genuinely striking, something between banana, pineapple, and pudding. Researching why such a good fruit isn't in supermarkets turned up an interesting story.
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Black Madeira Fig: Its First Fruit, But It Couldn't Ripen This Year
Our Black Madeira fig tree gave its first fruit this year, but it couldn't ripen because of rainy, cool weather. Researching the cultivar helped me understand why - it wants a late, warm season. We'll see if it delivers next year.
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.