Week 2 · Design

Look before you catalogue

Edible Landscapes

Midwinter strips decoration from a landscape. Canopy structure, drainage failures, and microclimates show clearly. One slow walk with a notebook — morning and afternoon on a clear day — updates your sector map cheaper than any design software subscription.

Midwinter observation pass

  1. Photograph from fixed points

    Kitchen window, gate, same four corners as spring survey — compare season to season.

  2. Note frost and thaw patterns

    White grass hollows, early thaw ridges — tender plants belong on the bright side.

  3. List what worked and failed

    Honest harvest log — varieties, not vague “bad year” stories.

  4. Adjust rotation and tree plan

    Order nothing until the list exists.

A pencil map on the fridge beats a forgotten app every time.

Involve children: temperature readings with a simple thermometer at kid height vs adult height — microclimates differ within one section.