One of the reasons I love fall is because of the sumac growing wild all around the city. Every year when those cones turn deep crimson, we’re reminded just how much abundance lives quietly in our landscapes, parks, and backyards. Sumac tea is one of the simplest homegrown rituals you can try—no fancy tools, no […]

Every fall, the same question rustles through our neighborhoods as the wind blows the first of those colorful changing leaves: What do we do with all these leaves? It’s a good question — and one worth pausing over. Because the way we answer it says a lot about how we see ourselves in relation to […]

When we think about building resilient landscapes, we often focus on soil health, water systems, and planting strategies. But one of the most powerful elements of a thriving ecosystem is community, and family is the closest community we have. When I had Zephyr 8 years ago, I was excited for the time when she’d be […]

Climate change is no longer a distant possibility—it’s here. We see it in the periods of drought, torrential downpours, warmer winters, and sudden weather extremes that disrupt the rhythms of our gardens and landscapes. These shifts can feel daunting, but they also present an invitation: to design our landscapes with resilience, flexibility, and abundance in […]

For decades, the American lawn has been a symbol of pride—trimmed, green, and uniform. But from a permaculture perspective, that vast stretch of grass is a missed opportunity. A monoculture, like turf grass, consumes water, resists biodiversity, and demands constant maintenance. What if–instead of mowing, watering, and fertilizing–your landscape actually fed you? Supported pollinators? Healed […]