Practical almanack content for gardeners and small farmers — planting windows keyed to nature’s own calendar.
Poor Will’s Almanack grew directly out of the almanack tradition that has guided farmers and gardeners for centuries — using natural signs to time planting, harvesting, and the full cycle of agricultural work. This category brings together Bill Felker’s practical content for gardeners and small farmers.
Instead of saying plant your tomatoes on May 15th, Bill might say plant your tomatoes when the wild geraniums are in full bloom and the wood thrushes have arrived — because those events mark a moment in the season’s development that is more reliable than any calendar date.
Readers who garden or farm will find this category a genuinely useful resource that deepens their connection to the land while making them better observers of the natural signals that tell them when to act.
Today, I am watching butterflies without an ulterior motive — done with trying to identify and count them, giving in to the confusion of their names and markings. A short essay on letting go of the need to explain what nature is doing.