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
Sari Lop Fig: Our Native Fig That Shines When Dried, Not Fresh
Being honest about Sari Lop fig: I didn't love its fresh taste, and it cracked quickly after a bit of rain. But that just means we were looking for this treasured native Turkish fig's real talent in the wrong place - because Sari Lop's true strength isn't fresh, it's dried.
Read more
Italian 258: One of the Most Beautiful Figs Added to the Collection
Italian 258 gave its first fruit while still a tiny sapling, and it's now joined our fig collection. The deep red flesh revealed when we cut open that first fruit immediately explained why this variety is so loved among fig collectors.
Read more
Vaki and Viki: From House Mascots to the Garden's Breeding Pair
Vaki and Viki came to our home in June and were our house mascots for a while, but they grew so fast that we had to move them from the house to the garden. Now, as a pair we believe to be one female and one male, we've reached the stage of planning to collect their eggs and raise ducklings.
Read more
Jujube Harvest Has Begun: Li Abundant, Chico Few But Incredibly Delicious
Jujube harvest has begun this year. Both Li and Chico cultivars fruited, but very differently - Li was abundant enough to weigh down the branches, while Chico gave only a handful of fruit, though that handful was incredibly delicious.
Read more
Miljska Fig: The Sapling I Brought From Montenegro and Planted in My Garden
I brought this sapling back from my trip to Montenegro and planted it in my own garden, and now I'm harvesting from my own tree. As I researched it, this deep purple fig's name turned out to carry an unexpected story and a tricky identification process.
Read more
Ravika Fig: The Taste Serdivan Carried Across a Bridge of Memory
We've been harvesting from this tree for two weeks and still can't get enough. But Ravika fig isn't just a delicious fruit - it's a name woven into Serdivan's identity, carrying the story of a migration.
Read more
Batumi Pear: A Regional Delicacy Passed Down From the Caucasus Migration
This year, we made our final harvest from this tree. Batumi pear is known in my family as a regional delicacy, a pear variety that takes its name from the city of Batumi in the Caucasus.
Read more
Rudbeckia Triloba: Not Black-Eyed Susan, But Its Much More Floriferous Cousin
I thought this plant was Black-Eyed Susan, but the fact that it branches so much and blooms so profusely was the real clue - it turns out to be Rudbeckia triloba, a much more floriferous member of the same family.
Read more
Coreopsis Tinctoria: The Flower I Mistook for Black-Eyed Susan
I first mistook this yellow-maroon flower for Black-Eyed Susan, but the leaf structure and flower pattern actually point to Coreopsis tinctoria. It's a true annual that self-sows from seed.
Read more
Weigela: The Shrub in My Garden With Those Deep Red Trumpet Flowers
When I saw these deep red, trumpet-shaped flowers, I suspected it might be Weigela. I don't know the exact cultivar name, but the flower structure and foliage point quite strongly to this genus.
Read more
Fernleaf Yarrow (Achillea filipendulina): A Gold-Colored Guest That Gets By on Little Water
Since fernleaf yarrow entered my garden, it's become one of the corners that asks for the least water and complains the least. With its flat, plate-like golden-yellow flower heads, it's both a visual and a practical win.
Read more
Gul Biberi (Rose Pepper): The Pepper From Germany That Resprouts From Its Root Even Through Frost
I brought this pepper plant from Germany - I know it as 'gul biberi' (rose pepper). Every winter it looks like it's died back to frost, but come spring it resprouts from the same root, and when it ripens it turns into a red, hot pepper.
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.