pendragon orchard and vine

Part I: Solanaceae (Nightshades), Chenopodiaceae (Beet Family), Compositae (Sunflower) You may have noticed the calendar says April, though your skin may not be in agreement with the calendar. Don’t be fooled by the colder than average temps: you already need to be knee deep in growing food, just as you do every month of the year in the PNW. Why? Because you can and should be growing or harvesting food here all year around. This is a blessed four season growing/harvesting

On a recent Orcas Island project, we found an opportunity to grow food and restore PNW natives without deer fencing. For those of you with property that has a history of logging, you may find old, rotted conifer stumps shoulder height or greater. These are natural "planters" for Red Huckleberry, among other species, like salal, in the forests of the PNW that deer can't reach. Rotting stumps act as a sponge, storing rainwater that is critical for huckleberry survival in summer