pendragon orchard and vine

Garden advice often insists that pruning tools must be sterilized constantly. The rule traces back to early fire blight research, but most plant diseases don’t spread this way. Understanding when pruning blades carry infection—and when they don’t—can save time while protecting your trees.

Gardening in the Maritime Northwest doesn’t begin when it feels like spring. It begins when soil reaches 40–45°F and drains cleanly. This guide breaks down exactly what to plant in February, which varieties perform in cold, oxygen-limited soil, and how to stage a six-week succession so you’re harvesting before April.

The first act of cultivation is not planting — it’s inquiry. Test the soil. Read its chemistry and its silence. Some soils are burdened — with metals, residues, or exhaustion from years of extraction. Others are simply asleep, waiting to be woken. You must know which you have before asking it to feed you.

Hazelnut (filbert) is a top permaculture design species: storable calories, oil, mulch, fencing, habitat, and a living screen—all from one resilient shrub.