Ocala Food Forest

01/07/2026

The tomatoes in the garden boxes survived our arctic spell. I don’t think anything was killed, we had all the tender to cold plants and trees covered.

12/10/2025

My orange tree finally produced some great-tasting oranges for the first time—it only took three years of waiting, but it was worth it. I also planted radishes and bunching onions in our new raised beds, and they’re all coming up beautifully.

We’ve tried just about everything over the years: in-ground planting, short raised beds I built myself, even aquaponics. None of those worked for us, but these new raised beds are thriving, and the critters haven’t managed to get into them.

If you’re interested, you can purchase the same raised beds through our affiliate link with Epic Gardening https://shop.epicgardening.com/DRRJMS67. It helps support our website and our mission to provide education on gardening and permaculture.

I’m also continuing to update and expand the Ocala Food Forest website, http://ocalafoodforest.com which I’ve been building since 2023. Take a look and let me know what you think of the new design—and feel free to join this month’s guild challenge, even if you don’t live in Florida.

11/21/2025

Decembers Food Forest Guild Challenge is out. https://www.pearldragonstudios.com/food-forest-blog/december Any size and budget to get started on growing your own food forest. Choose the plants you would like from our design elements and start your journey or add to your already established permaculture project.

December Guild Challenge

11/16/2025

The other day I was wearing this shirt as I was getting ready to leave for my live in pet visit. Don got up and I was telling him the details, I won’t be home till Saturday afternoon, there are (insert food items here)and when I finished, he just said. ‘I don’t understand why you are wearing a shirt that says ‘happy’ when you’re mad all the time.’

Poor Don, I constantly remind him I’m not mad at him. It just seems to be my new normal default setting. When I told this to my customers after I got to their house for the pet visit ( a couple near our age,) they both totally got it!!! Poor husband worries wife is mad at him but wife and I both assure him that is not the case— we just feel mad and frustrated in general!!!!

Ladies my age range… tell your partners it isn’t them…it’s just you trying to get comfortable in your older lady body!!!!!

10/12/2025

So after a year of letting the weeds go to seed and being overrun with Bidens Alba, Don is finally getting the yard under control again so we can add more food forest plants. We've had good luck with loquats and passionfruit. We have a few oranges coming on if they don't get stolen by critters.

Last year we purchased some raised beds and will be gardening more going forward. I have some seeds started but got busy with pet sitting and only have one seed tray planted out. It's ready to be potted up or planted in the beds. Who knew gardening and food forest establishment could be so time consuming.

We have decided to start learning affiliate marketing so we can perhaps get some free products and maybe make a buck or two by sharing products we use and recommend. One of our first affiliates is Epic Gardening. We have purchased seeds from them, our raised beds and soon will be getting their epic seed starting trays when we get some $$.

Here is our affiliate link if you would like to check something out!

Use my link to shop Epic Gardening: https://shop.epicgardening.com/DRRJMS67

09/27/2025

Join our monthly Food Forest Guild Challenge. Starting for October and one week before each month we will have a new challange where you can choose at least one guild out of three. Great for those on a budget or if you want to add to your established premaculture site.

Build one perennial-first plant guild this month—Loquat, Blueberry, or Pomegranate—arranged by layers for success.

09/25/2025

Learn how you can get the most production from north and south of zone 9 plants.

Zone 9 in Ocala spans temperate and subtropical. Learn how to use microclimates, chill hours, and cultivar choice for year-round harvests.

07/21/2024

www.pearldragonstudios.com/food-forest-blog/embracing-change-ocala-food-forests-journey-through-usda-planting-zone-updates

This year has brought an environmental shift to the Ocala Food Forest. The USDA planting zone for our area has officially moved to Zone 9a, previously straddling the line between Zone 8b and 9a. But what exactly does this change mean for our beloved food forest? Understanding USDA Planting Zone

07/21/2024

https://www.pearldragonstudios.com/food-forest-blog/embracing-change-ocala-food-forests-journey-through-usda-planting-zone-updates

This year has brought an environmental shift to the Ocala Food Forest. The USDA planting zone for our area has officially moved to Zone 9a, previously straddling the line between Zone 8b and 9a. But what exactly does this change mean for our beloved food forest? Understanding USDA Planting Zone

06/23/2024

more fun with AI art and affirmations. I'm thinking of opening a printable sticker shop. What kind of stickers would you like if you went to my sticker shop to buy a sticker?

06/20/2024

I love Happy Juice!!!!

That is all😀