Ecological Gardening

…because everything is connected.

~*~

Frosty Mallow, outlined in white on these cold mornings.

Garden Journaling

A garden “biotime” journal can help you to slow down, be a better observer, and feel more connected to nature and its rhythms. It is not only an important tool for review, it can also change the way you see things — and it might also bring a sense of calm in a very chaotic world. I highly recommend keeping one.

Dungeness River flood stage, December 11, 2025

December Deluge and a Silent Night

December brought us torrential rains, wild winds, flooding, and more. It also brought people together through rescue efforts and holiday celebrations. We are thankful we were not severely affected by recent storms; our hearts go out to all those who face losses of life and property. The solstice, holidays, and new year all give us an opportunity to pause and reflect. Let us cultivate compassion and help one another in the year ahead!

Medlar fruits

Fruits of November

Wind, rain, fog – wild weather! Piles of leaves, lots of bird action, and So. Many. Fruits! In November! Gotta Love It!

Crimson sunflower

The Last Hurrah of August 

Is August crazy? The heat, bugs, smoky skies, and too little rain … so much fruit, we can’t keep up … with its tall, bold flowers, August is summer’s last fling. Got overwhelm? I’ve got a cure for you. Oh, and check out the photos of the new peachicks. Adorable!

Weedy garden chaos.

June Tunes: A Song of Garden Chaos

A lot going on here. What it is, ain’t exactly clear. June was garden chaos at it’s best, or worst, depending on perspective. Bee swarms, wild animal visits in broad daylight, attacks in the night…. I bushwhacked through grass, thistle, bindweed, and bramble to find my way through this thicket of life…

Honey bees on hive

New Bees 2025

A swarm of honey bees has decided to move into one of our empty Warré hives at Barbolian Fields. Thoughts about honey bees and native pollinators. Is there room for both?

Bumblebee in catmint

May Daze, May Flowers, and Mayhem

In May, birds are busy feeding fledglings, everything is blooming at once, the air is filled with bees and cottonwood fluff, and we are being invaded by peacocks.

March: The Month of Firsts

First …
Daffodils and Dandelions
Red Flowering Currants
Nanking Cherry and Honeyberry Blossoms
Purple Deadnettle, Stinging Nettles, and Chickweed 
Bumblebees, Ladybugs, Butterflies
FROGS
First Total Lunar Eclipse!
AND the long-awaited First Day of Spring

Cherry leaves about to fall

October Turning

And suddenly it is the end of October! Time to get ready for winter! This post highlights what is blooming, fruiting, and transforming before our very eyes! It would be one of those “October Chores” posts, but instead offers ideas on what we *should* be doing if we weren’t so sidetracked by all the beauty around us!

Red berries of the Berberis shrub

On the Edge of Winter in the Garden

A photo tour of what is growing at Barbolian Fields while I try to get some leaves raked up and put down for mulch, but mostly just get sidetracked!

Star Magnolia after a rain

Habitat Gardening to Save the Planet

A very simple thing we can all do to save the planet: Plant a seed. To create a garden for wildlife, simply provide what we all need: food, water, shelter, and a safe place to raise young.

Saturated driveway and rainwater runoff

Rainwater Harvesting – Part 1

Rainwater is such a precious resource! How much do we get, where does it go, and how can we harvest it for later? In Part 1, I review the water cycle, calculate how many gallons we can get off our roofs, and look at different barrel, tank, and cistern options. 

Pink Viola

Primer for Planning a Garden for Pollinators

What will pollinators eat when they emerge from their winter havens? Here’s what’s blooming in my garden & pointers on planning a garden for pollinators.

Daffodils

Spring Blossoms Return! Yay!

Such a busy time of year! Sometimes, though, we need to set aside our To-Do lists and take a moment to breathe in the air of spring. Miracles all around us! I just wanted to share a few photos of some of the spectacular flowers blooming right now. SO gorgeous! So very much appreciated after the deep snows of this last winter! Take a quick look, and then go out in your own backyard and take a moment to wander and linger.

heavy snow on firs

Creating a Winter Snow Sanctuary for the Birds

Wow. We got hammered with the snow! Mild compared with the Midwest, but enough to make me think about how the birds survive in this crazy winter weather! Here are some ideas on how to help them survive.

Frosty rose blooming in November

Blooming in November: Flowers for Bees, Pollinators, Feathered Friends

I am always amazed at what is still blooming in November. Such gifts! The bees and other pollinators are especially grateful. So am I! In the midst of the leaf-raking season, be sure to take a break to smell the roses! Hope your Thanksgiving is full of blessings, your life full of gratitude, and your garden full of whatever it is full of. It’s all good!

Red Flowering Currant, Ribes sanguineum

April Garden Survey: To Do or NOT To Do…

It’s another drippy day in the Pacific Northwest. What to do … or not …  that is the question.

April is National Gardening Month. The blogs are full of To-Do Lists on what you should be doing if you had your act together (which is making this overachiever feel like a real slacker). What is truly feasible? How to find balance? Taking an April Garden Survey is a good procrastination technique. In this post, I explain my strategy for this year’s garden (and for minimizing my workload) and take a look around at what is up and blooming.

Indian Plum

On the Wings of March

Walk along a soaked garden path in early March and what do you see? Raindrops, birds, insects, and the world waking up. So amazing, it drove me to write poetry. Herein a poem for March, the wondrous transformations in a garden, and the miracles of spring. They’re everywhere. If we build it, they will come.

Turning the Corner into November

We turn the corner into November. It is amazing how much is still blooming and how many fruits are still available! Here is a quick autumn garden inventory. Lots of pictures of flowers, fruits, fall colors, and cute grandkids – plus an amazing bald-faced hornet’s nest that was revealed after the leaves had fallen!

Permaculture Resolutions (and Where Do We Go from Here?)

Happy New Year from Barbolian Fields! We live in “interesting times.” This year, we are incorporating Holmgren’s Permaculture Princples into our New Year’s Resolutions. Our goals, in general, focus on reaching out, buying local, being prepared for uncertainty, optimizing our backyard ecosystems, and keeping things in balance by also taking time to enjoy life. We hope you will join us in making a difference!

Earth Day: Plant Something for the Bees!

Earth Day Beach Cleanup
Beach cleanup on an earlier Earth Day.

Earth Day! Such an opportunity to do something positive for our planet! Whether you recycle, upcycle, bicycle, reduce your footprint, make a footprint, go for a simple walk, plant a tree – so much we can do to celebrate another day of living on this incredible planet that supports life as we know it.

Sometimes I just have to step back in amazement that any of this exists at all!

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November Blooms

The temperatures are dipping into the 20s, and yet… such miracles! The bees are so very grateful!

I think we, too, appreciate them all the more!

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12 Good Things about the 2012 Garden

Wow. What a transformation! Here are 12 accomplishments and lessons learned in the 2012 garden. It’s all good! And 2013 promises to be even better!

Is Your Garden Boring? (The Food-Forest Solution)

Has winter exposed your garden as a bunch of boring rectangles and squares? Do you wish it more replicated real life, running in circles? There is help for people like us. Work WITH nature to transform your labor-intensive squares into a self-supporting food forest.

A Somewhat Unconventional Garlic Garden

I tried a little unconventional approach to this year’s garlic garden. I built the beds in a series of circles around nitrogen-fixing shrubs and a meandering form that looks a lot like my life – er, I mean, a whirligig. Whatever. I was lost.

Garlic Under Snow

Snowstorm in the PNW! The garlic is under a blanket. Here’s a good recipe for a simple high-energy food mix for the birds.