Avalon Garden Designer

05/29/2026

Update on the compost experiment:

So far the corn and squash are doing well! I transplanted both of them from the greenhouse. I started the beans around the corn from seed. I wanted the corn to have a head start so it is a sturdy trellis for the beans to grow up.

The space seemed so big that I added some Calendula around the perimeter as well. :)

Reminder that you can see all the happenings around here next month at the Historic Garden Walk here in Grand Rapids! Check on grandgrowers.com for more information! Hope to see you!

05/28/2026

It's that time of year again! Historic Garden Walk 2026!

On Saturday, June 20th from 10am-4pm, come see several private gardens in our quaint neighborhoods in Grand Rapids, Ohio. It's a lovely event for plant enthusiasts to enjoy meeting each other. Whether you are a seasoned gardener or a new gardener wanting ideas for your own home, it's a great event for everyone.

My garden will be in the walk again this year. If you've been curious about what a beginning Permaculture garden might look like, come see what changes I've made in the past couple years! I'd love to chat with you!

Standard tickets are only 15.00 presale (20.00 at the door) and Premium tickets gain you access to GardenView Flowers first pick of the season for 25.00 presale (30.00 at the door).

There are several other events on the day as well, please visit grandgrowers.com for all the information!

05/27/2026

The other day while pulling dandelions and chicory out of my garden, I actually pulled out almost an entire chicory! Can you see how long that root is?! Almost 3 feet long!

It's so important to understand what is happening below the soil as well as on top. There are ways to design and plant that benefit the soil, out compete weeds that are undesirable, match the moisture levels in the soil, and create aeration in the soil. Obviously the chicory and dandelions are helping to aerate my dry, compact clay in the back of the yard!

Side note: Yes, I know chicory and dandelions are edible and I've tried to use them before. They are a little too bitter for my taste, but I have SO MANY in the rest of the yard that keeping my beds tidy is okay with me. :)

05/18/2026

So today I decided I'm done.

No more turning this compost. 😅

I spread it out pretty thick so it can cool overnight. Tomorrow I'll plant the 3 sisters (corn, beans and squash) with lots of good soil in the holes where I plant. I'm not 100% confident the compost is ready because it still seems a bit "chunky", but it smells good, it's got great color, and I'm not seeing a lot of change this last week after watering it more.

So here we go! 🤞

05/13/2026

Yesterday I took a walk.

I go for walks when I feel a bit out of sorts and need to work through thoughts and feelings.

On this walk, I started thinking about edges. In Permaculture, edges are where two different elements meet and a lot of action happens, such as water and stone, earth and stone, forest and prairie. Examples of edges in nature are along a shoreline, between cracks in a sidewalk, or along a rock edge of a garden bed.

As I walked, I thought about my own life and the transitions that are happening. These seasons of transitions are similar to edges in Permaculture. Edges in life may look similar to any kind of change, transitions, or personal growth in the forms of a new career, relationships, a passing, or hobbies. In life, YOU are an element interacting with other elements in the world. Anytime you interact with another person, group, nature, or object you are creating an edge.

In Permaculture, edges should be intentional to create the most benefit for the space. Edges can be places of great growth and massive abundance, but left unchecked, they can also be areas of disarray and a headache (think of roadsides with so much invasive honeysuckle).

If life's edges are the same as Permaculture edges, I thought, then am I paying attention to MY edges? How can I create edges that are abundant in what I'd like to see more of and less of what I'd rather not have a headache over?

And if some of my edges/life changes are feeling a bit messy right now, maybe that's okay. Having grace for ourselves and our gardens seems like an okay choice too.

05/12/2026

05/12/2026

Here is a list of natives for sale this weekend!! I'll be on cash register Saturday morning, hope to see you there!

Forbs Nodding wild onion Allium cernuum Tall thimbleweed Anemone virginiana Wild columbine Aquilegia canadensis Swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata Sullivant’s milkweed Asclepias sullivantii Common milkweed Asclepias syriaca Butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa Commo...

05/11/2026

Mark your calendars!

Another great native plant sale is happening on May 16th and 17th from 11 am - 2 pm both Saturday and Sunday. Located at Blue Creek Nursery at the big white barn, selections will include perennials at 7.00 each and shrubs and trees up to 25.00 each. It gets busy, so come early!

Wild Ones members can come early on Saturday at 10 am!

I'll be volunteering as a cashier on Saturday morning, come say hi!

05/10/2026

Compost day 26:

So I've been turning the pile every 3 days, in case it needs more time to do something since I wasn't seeing significant changes in 2 days. The pile looks darker, and even still steaming at the very bottom (it's about 65 degrees today)! I can tell it still looked dry, so I watered again in layers. I have a feeling I didn't water enough initially which is one reason it's taking longer (obviously adding more brown contributed too).

Adding too much water isn't actually hard to fix, you just dig into the center of the pile and allow the excess water to steam off.

Lesson: just water more than you think you need.

Not going to lie, started to get tired of turning this pile. 😅

05/09/2026

I got home today and look what was waiting for me! My sign is done and out for all to see. :)