Take time to stop and look at the yellow, brown, red, and golden leaves up in the trees and scattered on the ground. Have you ever wondered what is going on inside the leaves and the trees at this time?

Keeping the Salish Sea clean and healthy for everyone is the responsibility of everyone.

Everyone can take at least one simple action to join. This may be picking up after your dog on walks and in your yard, washing your vehicles (and bikes) on a lawn to help capture soap and debris or at a car wash where the dirty water full of heavy metals and pollutants go to a proper drain and not directly into Puget Sound.

Permaculture is the application of a set of ethics & principles to care for the whole Earth and all of its inhabitants. Originally from the term 'permanent agriculture', now has expanded for applications to all landscape scales and other fields.

I have been able to turn to the gardens I am growing personally and those I am designing for others as inspiration and my guide to what is next. 

Whether you are looking to grow more flowers, harvest more veggies or pick fresh herbs from your garden - the best garden tool is a healthy population of beneficial insects and pollinators.

Creating habitats for birds, bees, butterflies and other insects is such a rewarding experience for any level gardener.

Consider joining the movement of No Mow May by skipping your weekly chore & sit back to enjoy the yard not work in it.

With those intermittent flashes of sun on my face, and hours to myself among the plants to observe and think, I have a refreshed eagerness regenerating my spirits to get back to the roots of what Eco-Restore wants to create in the world and in your gardens.

If you are one to #Leave the Leaves over winter (yay) you can start cleaning them up.

Cooler temperatures usually means it is time to be indoors (or playing outside), working less in the gardens. However there are a few things you can do now for a great harvest this spring.

Evolving

~ Garden clean up - Find a couple of nice sunny days to complete the checklist of putting the garden to bed. You might still need…

Now is a great time to put the garden beds to rest and regenerate before another year of growth and abundance. While there may be some edible plants, flowers and herbs still going strong; fall is when many feel they can get ahead of tasks in the landscape.

As the peak season of blooms and harvest begins to wind down it is a great time to think about what to leave behind.

Sow outdoors throughout August: beet family (Amaranthaceae) - spinach, Swiss Chard; mustard family (Brassicaceae) - collards, kale, turnips for greens; sunflower family (Compositae) lettuce, escarole, endive

Since time immemorial our ancestors have lived, told time, fell in love, passed down stories and tended the gardens by the light of the moon. I would like to offer the opportunity for you all to learn more and engage with our only true and beloved satellite while digging in the soil and while walking other paths of your lives.

What a busy time again, I can't believe it has been a month since I wrote you all. I hope everyone is doing well and starting to feel the sun on your face and breathing the air of spring renewal.

Spring has sprung and babies are on the way!

February is of course a short month, but can prove to be just as busy - in and out of the garden.

Here in Washington we get a few sneaky warm days to get us excited for what is just around the corner. The spring bulbs are pushing through the Earth and the bird song begins to return. March usually sets us back on our heels a bit with cold wet weather so don't get to ahead of yourself! Below I have a few TIPS and suggestions for getting ready without breaking ground yet.

While there is still a little downtime before we get really busy outside in the gardens it is time to pull out your garden journals and review your notes from last month. Think of the question 'what do you want to try this upcoming season' - do you have everything you need? Is there anything left on your to-do list, your shopping list, tools to replace or clean up? Now is the time to get ready. If you need a reminder click here for the newsletter and checklist.

With the Solstice just a few days away and winter settling in, I hope you take time to turn inwards over the next few months to reflect the past and envision your future, garden and self.

Read an inspiring garden book! I am currently (and finally) reading Braiding Sweetgrass. I find Gardening at the Dragon’s Gate a reliable companion, however this is one you could read and digest over an entire year.