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.
Topics
Featured Post
Casimiroa Edulis: A Tropical Tree Surviving 4 Years in Sakarya
Also known as White Sapote, Casimiroa edulis has been in our garden for 4 years. It takes some winter damage each year but bounces back every spring. We haven't seen fruit yet — but we're waiting patiently.
Read Post
Editor's Picks
All posts →
Latest Posts
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.
Read more
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.
Read more
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.
Read more
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.
Read more
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
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.
Read more
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.
Read more
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.
Read more
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
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.
Read more
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.
Read more
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.
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.
Newsletter
Letters from the Garden
Seasonal planting calendars, rare plant introductions and permaculture tips. Once a week.