Search Results for: garlic

Got Garlic? One can never have too much! Check out our gourmet varieties of garlic – both hardneck and softnecks for planting and eating. We also offer bulbils from the scapes – an inexpensive way to get started with garlic and increase your crop.

I am not sure when my love affair with garlic began, but I started growing it in earnest in 1976 and have been growing it ever since. Garlic keeps the blood flowing. There are just too many interesting varieties to stop at just one or two. So – a victim of creative descriptions in seed … Read more

Useful plants at Barbolian Fields: Fruits, nuts, berries, herbs, willows, what is blooming when, and the bees & other pollinators that love them!

Snow in February! What else awaits? Where do the small creatures find shelter from the cold? A continuation of the Biotime Log.

A working list of perennial herbs and shrubs that germinate better with a period of cold stratification.

What we make & sometimes sell at Barbolian Fields: herb concoctions, botanical dyes, fabric and fiber creations, willow works, and an eclectic assortment of mostly useful handmade things. We are also an authorized distributor of Solexx materials and sell plants propagated in the Solexx greenhouse. Inspiration is free.

This is the Ultimate Plant List of what I have growing at Barbolian Fields. Most people don’t realize how many plants I have growing out there. In fact, I, too, was one of those people! Hence, the need for a plant list. Well, I have been working on this list a long time and have finally come to the realization that it will never be finished until I, too, am planted. And I am ok with that! Plants are categorized according to the niche they occupy within the Food Forest: 1. Tall Tree Layer, 2. Canopy, 3. Shrubs, 4. Herbaceous Layer, 5. Groundcovers, 6. Vines, 7. Roots.

Rosemary has too many uses and positive qualities to list! Her medicinal properties are legendary; she is also a fantastic insectary plant, garden companion, cullinary herb extraordinaire, and is used in everything from hair rinses to foot baths…but personally, I would grow her for no other reason than that she blooms in January! Ahhhh!

Welcome to Barbolian Fields! Read about our adventures in beekeeping, our permaculture journey in building a pollinator paradise, all about garlic and then some, lots about herbs and berries, various how-tos and how-not-tos, and our assorted rambles in the brambles (aka, the blog). We also sell stuff. And sometimes I play harmonica. Seriously. Ok, maybe not TOO seriously.

Bloom Times for Plants at Barbolian Fields (Unfortunately, this isn’t nearly as easy to read here as it is in Excel. Until I find a solution, perhaps this is still useful. Of course, everything varies from one year to the next, but you can still see at a glance what is early spring, mid-summer, and … Read more

There is a lot that goes into gaining perspective.  In this section, We look at how we might test our solutions We examine feedback loops and what they can tell us about our – and nature’s – ability to self-regulate We talk about hindsight: What have we learned? What worked, what didn’t, and what would … Read more

You think you really know your own property until you start paying attention to all the details. How could I turn the orchard into a food forest? Would I have to give up my garlic business? What are the patterns and how do they help? Where do we go from here? I love challenges, because that is where we get down to the nitty gritty and learn things. Working WITH nature – not against her – THAT is our goal.

So many questions! We have to divide them into categories that follow Bill Mollison’s Three Ethics and the 12 Principles presented by David Holmgren. Overarching Questions When goals are clearly articulated, it is easier to identify questions and what might be needed to reach goals. So the first question is, what are the main goals … Read more

[Link back to Site Analysis; Link back to Permaculture Journey] Property Description: Barbolian Fields is located on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State, USA, in a rural area about 4 miles NW of the town of Sequim (population: ~6,600 people; surrounding area: ~25,000). Distance to Coast: 3.5 miles Elevation: 101.7 feet Coordinates: Latitude North 48° 12’; Longitude … Read more

[Link back to Site Analysis; Link back to Permaculture Journey] Soil and Regional Topography: We talk about this simple 4-letter word in simple ways. It is the dirt beneath our feet. And yet, with closer inspection, we find it is quite possibly more complex than anything above that line of demarcation that separates the land from the … Read more

[metaslider id=5061] (Click arrows or dots to change slide.) The Evolution: Phases 1-4 gives a larger view of the above images and a quick overview of the different phases.  Our project spans 12 years, starting in 2009 when we installed our first rainwater catchment. We divided the project into four phases, each covering 3 years, through which we found … Read more

I will be adding to this page as I go – for now, it’s a gathering of ideas, mostly taken from various blogposts. I thought this might be a good place to stash and organize some of these before I lose them! Coming up, as I find time: How to Plant Garlic How to Harvest … Read more

Barbolian Fields is a little backyard horticultural experiment located just outside Sequim, Washington, USA. I started this website in 2007 when I was selling a lot of garlic – at one point, over 20 varieties! We no longer grow garlic on a commercial scale; our focus has transitioned more toward a variety of other useful … Read more