Category Archives: Weather

The Long Winter

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“It can’t beat us!” Pa said.
“Can’t it, Pa?” Laura asked stupidly.
“No,” said Pa. “It’s got to quit sometime and we don’t. It can’t lick us. We won’t give up.”
Then Laura felt a warmth inside her. It was very small but it was strong. It was steady, like a tiny light in the dark, and it burned very low but no winds could make it flicker because it would not give up.”

― Laura Ingalls Wilder, The Long Winter

Snow blankets the earth, covers the tree limbs dotted with tiny, furrowed sparks of potential green. I look out each day, yearning for a hint Butterflies_wallpapers_313of sunlight and see only the diffused glow from behind thick grey clouds. So close were we to seeing the bare earth before this latest onslaught of snow and ice. Today, it is as much memory as is the faint remembrance of summer in February.

And yet.

The longer it goes, the more I realize the beauty in spring. The more difficult its beginning; the more appreciation I feel in mere anticipation. So that when the sun does arrive, the world will erupt in color; erase the grey with shades of earthen hues. And restore within us a sense of wonder in all things as miraculous as the tiny seed that grows into a live oak, or the intricate process that spins the dull, lusterless caterpillar into a winged thing of beauty.

While awaiting spring, please consider supporting a permaculture demonstration orchard at DeYoung.

Healing Tree: the website

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I’ve been brainstorming ideas to make this blog more effective and I’ve decided to build a website around topics discussed on the blog while maintaining the blog as a central forum for discussion and ideas.  The website will offer resources to folks new to permaculture and also those more familiar with the “do no harm” approach to farming, including helpful links and articles written by me and those more familiar with the process.  

Since we’re landless, we’ll be propagating a new kind of garden – with vital seeds of change – online!

Where the Wild Things Are

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This week we are still awaiting our bulb order.  The bulbs should have arrived late last week, but they did not (which gave us an excuse to farm-hop, hike and enjoy the summer-like weather).  In the meantime, I’ve been thinking about wild things: Wild grapes, asparagus, fungus, mint, apples, herbs, etc.  I’m also thinking about how we can better connect people accustomed to purchasing food in the grocery with wild spaces in a way that is fun and adventurous.  And in addition, which resources Healing Tree might collect to lend to people interested in farming and permaculture.

The girls recently made a model of an apple blossom.  At six, my oldest can already describe how an apple is made by the tree.  This is more knowledge than most adults currently hold, but I think it’s an invaluable part of understanding the larger system.  If a farmer would prefer to reduce the number of chemicals applied in the orchard or he/she wants to produce a higher, healthier yeild, they need to understand how fruit-trees function optimally.

Just as stress causes human immunity to lessen and makes us more susceptible to disease, so does stress experienced by fruit trees.  A bad pruning, an accidental knick down to the cambium, or grass planted all around the tree, stresses the tree and makes it more susceptible to disease.  It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that trees on a vigorous root stock do better when left alone than those grafted onto a dwarfing variety.

So what does this have to do with wild things?  Observing how plants interact in the natural world is the best education for the “budding” orchardist.  If you want to mimic a mature ecosystem, you need to take the time to observe a natural ecosystem.  Wild apples are easy to find in Michigan, but in general, fruit trees like edgeland.  They like the edge because they require ample sun to produce ample fruit.  Beneficials like bees are more common along edgeland and flowers which attract these beneficials thrive in meadows near the edge.

When observing in the wild, ask yourself:

  • What kinds of native plants grow here.
  • Notice which plants are thriving and those that seem to be struggling
  • Examine the roots of plants, if possible/permittable
  • Walk the land and make a mental note of where water might collect in a heavy rain
  • Are they’re any natrualized or “invasives”
  • What sorts of insects/animals are present

Answering these questions on your own and coming up with additional questions is a fantastic and organic approach to learning about permaculture.  Better, it’s a great way to spend some quality time in wild spaces.  Feel free to share your comments/observations below!

A Simple Observation

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In Northern Michigan we’re experiencing a drought.  We’re 40% below our normal average rainfall and it’s showing in our crops, lawns and the amount of dust we’re seeing in the air.  At the same time, while we’re baking in high, dry temperatures, we’ve noticed some of the plants stay green despite the brutal conditions.  Most of these plants are miners, who reach deep within the earth for water not available in the topsoil.  And so, in amidst a crowd of brittle brown, clumps of green exist where these pioneer plants have adapted to more severe climate conditions.

We could learn a lot from how these plants have adapted and why.  Our goal at Healing Tree is to communicate the basis for plant function to others, to build mature eco systems better adapted for shifts in climate/conditions and to co-create a sustainable method of farming with other members of our community.  This way, we can all survive the dry times and thrive together when the rains finally fall.