I started setting roots 2006 when i found my partner and kids and was introduced to north east Georgian bay. Previous to that I traveled extensively modeling overseas.

I came to permaculture and forest gardening through watching what grows natural on barely any soil (rock island) and learning about the usage of these wild "weeds". At first i learned about companion planting then used squared foot gardening principles and this past winter I have read through most of Dave Jakes volume 1 book on forest gardening and thumbed through Volume 2. I wanted to take a permaculture design course this spring but it did not work out. Hoping to take one soon. I did sit through a couple permaculture and forest gardening workshops and have read books and blogs and watch videos :).

This spring I have build my first hugelkultur bed and I am planting my forest garden.... My main goal here on the island is to raise the Biomass level. So I am taking logs and burying them where I can and as mentioned earlier made a hugel bed on the bare rock. I have many native plants that grow profusely and I'm trying to include them in polyculture guilds. What is that expression... Take from Paul to give to Mary? Well as I was gathering dead trees and logs for my hugelkultur it occurred to me that I was stealing..... Anyways I did leave some behind that is why I could not transform all my beds into hugels.

Corydalis Semperviren has been my favourite plant since starting gardening on our rock island where it is everywhere. It likes dry rocky and windy climate. I have a hard time growing anything around here unless I bring in bags of soil and create beds out of rocks. However, Rock harlequin, poligonum persicara, aralia nudicalis and potentilla norvegica grow everywhere there isn't enough biomass built up for pine trees. I would love to know how I can use these plants. I find very little on the Internet. Maybe I need to find more plants that thrive in rock cracks. :)