6 Shares Homestead Stories: A Colorful Zinnia Extravaganza I have a couple of gardens that do well in the spring when the sun isn’t as intense but come late July everything dries up. It doesn’t matter how much I water those gardens (which I do sparingly as I don’t want to use up precious well water), the sun is just too intense. The […] More
13 Shares Flooring Ideas: 18 Eco-Friendly Options For Your Next Home Renovation If you’re doing a home renovation or are in the market for some new flooring, you’re in luck. Right now, it appears that just about every type of flooring company has some exciting option you’re bound to love. Before choosing your flooring there are a few things to keep in mind. First, be sure that […] More
10 Shares DIY Bookshelf: The 22 Best Projects To Try If you’re already a DIYer, then you know the satisfaction that comes from creating something with your own hands. It’s especially gratifying when the project isn’t terribly complicated, and let’s be honest, there’s an added bonus if we can save a little money. Bookshelves are an excellent DIY project because there is an endless number […] More
7k Shares95 Comments Insteading Giveaway – October 2018 If you’ve ever taken a hike into the woods, you’ve seen them everywhere. Mushrooms in every shape and color, some looking like they came straight out of Alice and Wonderland. While you could always go for a walk and forage for your own edible mushrooms, another option is cultivating your own shiitake mushrooms at home! […] More
9 Shares Homestead Stories: The Balloon Flower “It’s a balloon flower, Mom.” My youngest jumped up and down with glee. “A what?” I asked. I have to admit, I’ve heard some pretty strange names for flowers but balloon flower was a new one to me. “A balloon flower,” my oldest confirmed. “That’s what the flower looks like when it blooms. A balloon.” […] More
7 Shares Guinea Fowl My sister and her husband recently visited our homestead, and upon being “greeted” by our male guinea, my brother-in-law exclaimed good-naturedly, “Oh look, it’s a space chicken!” And really, that’s pretty much how it feels to meet a guinea for the first time. Though the guinea fowl has been on farms and homesteads for centuries, […] More
8 Shares Treehouse Plans Ah, to be a kid again. There is something about a treehouse that makes you want to throw on some worn-out shoes, grass-stained jeans, and a warm jacket (because your mom made you). Whether you had a treehouse as a kid or your neighbor friends did, the memories of spending all afternoon outside playing games […] More
11 Shares Growing Spinach Originally hailing from 4th-century Persia, spinach has a long and storied past as a health tonic, a poor man’s food, a favorite of big-forearmed sailor men, and a choice food of health gurus. We are constantly hearing about how important it is to eat your leafy greens, and for good reason—they’re fantastic for you and […] More
8 Shares Homestead Stories: The Outhouse Flower I have fond memories of the outhouse at the family cottage. Years ago. When I was a youngster. Dad had built it far enough from the cottage that it didn’t project its noxious odors into the place where we ate and slept. Mom planted tall, bushy flowers around the outhouse in an attempt to beautify […] More
48 Shares2 Comments Why You Should Start Using A Clothesline When I think of using a clothesline, I think of a conversation I had when I still lived in the city. While hanging my laundry, my neighbor’s little boy poked his head through the fence. ”Whatchoo doing?” “Hanging up my laundry.” “Ain’t you got a dryer?” “We got rid of it. The sun and the […] More
9 Shares Winter Fruits: 8 Garden Additions For The Cold Months As the summer winds its way into fall, it’s a good time to start thinking about preparing your garden for the darker, cooler days ahead. Hopefully, you’ve made dandelion wine, dried all your herbs, and canned all your fresh veggies to keep healthy foods around all winter. But how can you prepare for a year-round […] More
7 Shares Pruning Apple Trees Apple trees truly are giving trees. In spring, their fragrant, pale blossoms dot the landscape with a welcome, hopeful change from the soggy grays and browns of late winter. In summer, their lush foliage offers shade from the bright sun. In fall, their juicy fruit is the stuff of the best memories—hay rides at the […] More
7 Shares DIY Chandelier Lighting is one of the best ways to create ambiance or set the mood in any room. It’s also one of the ways that homeowners can showcase their own style. When you go to add new lighting to the rooms of your home, however, it’s easy to get sticker shock when shopping retail to find […] More
13 Shares How To Grow Healthy Aloe Vera Aloe vera may bring to mind colorful bottles and memories of a bad sunburn, but the plant is relatively easy to grow at home and comes with a load of health benefits. If you’re looking for a constant source of aloe vera for its medicinal worth, or if you simply love the look of the […] More
13 Shares3 Comments The Many Varieties Of Mint The little, red squirrel was determined, I’ll say that much. He, I assume it was a he because he couldn’t take a hint and go away, kept jumping on the patio door window and trying to climb inside. He wanted to join me while I watched the evening news. I don’t know why; there was […] More
16 Shares Bat House Plans If you’re considering adding a bat house to your property, you likely already know the benefits of inviting these furry friends to your yard. Among their many positive qualities, the top three are their excellent pollinating abilities, their beneficial guano, and the fact that they eat mosquitoes by the thousands per day. Just one bat […] More
4 Shares Picnic Table Plans Picnic tables are not only a traditional backyard staple, but they’ve evolved to become so much more than a place for sandwiches and watermelon on a summer day. They’re a favorite gathering place for friends, the site of craft projects for kids, and even act as outdoor classrooms. Even for an amateur woodworker, tackling DIY […] More
9 Shares How To Make A Succulent Terrarium You’ve seen them on Instagram, Etsy, and in the windows of boutique plant shops. A succulent terrarium can be as small as a necklace pendant or as large as an upcycled fish tank. Similar to putting together a hanging basket or a flower arrangement, terrariums are an art project in their own right, making them a […] More
13 Shares 7 Fall Vegetables You Should Grow Fall vegetables offer a bounty of color, flavor, and nutrition. The vegetables that are in season in the fall include pumpkins and squashes of all sorts (my favorites are kabocha, butternut, and red kuri), cauliflower, all the potatoes, and hearty greens like collards and kale, which do quite well in cooler weather. Other autumn favorites […] More
4 Shares Pergola Plans Picture this: You’ve just finished your gardening chores for the weekend, and now you’re relaxing in your backyard with a refreshing glass of lemonade. You sit down in an Adirondack chair with your feet kicked up. Suddenly, you feel the heat of the day scorching your face. Relaxation is officially out the window. This is […] More
15 Shares Marking The Way Naturally – Rustic Garden Edging It really began with the secret garden. No, I’m not referring to Frances Hodgson Burnett’s novel by that name, though it is a favorite, and I’ve always wanted my own secret garden. Perhaps now I do. My secret garden really was a secret. At least initially. And hence its name which it holds to this […] More
14 Shares Cattle Breeds: The Best for Milk and Meat Raising cattle might be worth trying as a way to expand your homesteading horizons. Raising cattle can supply you and your family with homegrown meat and dairy products while teaching your kids valuable life lessons. Owning cows can also provide a second income if you’re interested in selling meat and dairy products at the market. […] More
14 Shares Rainwater Harvesting: The Basics And Why You Should Start Today Lead contamination. Chlorine and fluoride. E.coli. Fracking pollutants. Toxins and pharmaceuticals. There are so many things that might be mixed in the water that flows from the faucet, that turning on the tap may feel more like playing a chemical form of Russian roulette than getting a drink. But what if I told you that […] More
18 Shares Birdhouses: 32 Homes For Your Feathered Friends If you don’t already have a birdhouse in your backyard, you may wonder what all the fuss is about. Undoubtedly you have at least a few friends or family members who are big fans of their avian visitors. Some of the biggest bird enthusiasts have many birdhouses adorning their trees and decks and windowsills. So, what’s […] More
9 Shares Weigela: A Flowering Shrub To Rival Your Rhododendrons Moving to the country had its pros and cons. There were a lot of things to learn, especially in the garden. I tried to take my entire suburbia garden, one plant at a time, but some of my shrubs, sadly, had to be left behind. They were too big and the roots too deep to […] More
15 Shares 11 Healthy Grains You Should Add To Your Diet As a chef and educator, I get asked all the time about healthy grains. Some of the healthiest grains are amaranth, barley, buckwheat, corn, kaniwa, millet, oats, quinoa, rice, teff, and wheat. Speaking very generally, there are two schools of thoughts about grains: one believes that grains can be a healthy part of a plant-based […] More
9 Shares Firewood Storage – 30 Sheds, Racks, And Shelves A firewood shed will keep your logs dry and well-organized. Whether you need a small log rack to store your firewood indoors or a large shed to stock up for the winter, we’ve found both rustic and modern firewood storage options for indoor and outdoor use. Cord Woodshed Prepare your homestead for the winter with […] More
12 Shares Summer Flowers: 10 Blooms to Make Your Garden Pop With Color Summer is a time of bold barbecue flavors, bright sunlight, vivid green on the fully-leafed trees, and hot temperatures. The garden would be remiss if it didn’t have colorful flowers to match the intensity of the season! Move aside, you pale pastel spring flowers, these eye-zinging blossoms are here to fill the garden beds with […] More
26 Shares Pallet Garden: 19 Ideas For The Ultimate Upcycle Pallets are more than “having a moment”. They’ve made their way in and onto nearly surface imaginable. From furniture to shutters, to walkways and light fixtures, pallets are one of the best upcycling opportunities around. And you can often get them for free. Not only are pallets an eco-friendly option, they have many, many uses. […] More
11 Shares How To Make Homemade Coffee Creamer If you’re like me and can’t imagine starting the day without a cup of morning joe, you’ll be glad to know that health experts start their day the same way. What they don’t do, however, is add artificial coffee creamers. What is it about that special sweet liquid we stir into our coffee? Maybe it’s the rich, […] More
7 Shares Growing Corn Corn is one of the most ubiquitous food ingredients in the world and is unusually suited to growing in hot weather. Since much of the growing land in the U.S. gets hotter than 90 degrees Fahrenheit on summer days, corn is one of the best grain crops in America. Why do corn plants heart the […] More
36 Shares3 Comments Diatomaceous Earth: 14 Surprising Everyday Uses Diatomaceous earth (DE), also known as diatomite, is a soft sedimentary rock made up of the fossils of algae-like organisms called diatoms. It’s 80-90% silica and usually comes in the form of a fine, white powder, commonly used in things like water filtering, food manufacturing, skin products, and farming practices. You can buy two kinds […] More
8 Shares 20 Unique Weathervanes For Your Homestead Before radio, television, satellites, and smartphones, a weathervane was the weather reporter of the homestead. Atop the roofs of homes and barns, they told homesteaders how fast and which direction the wind was blowing. Sudden changes of direction or wind speed could mean a storm was approaching—an early warning system that helped homesteaders save countless […] More
11 Shares 5 Things To Consider Before Buying A Used Tiny House Buying a house, tiny or large, is a complicated affair. Most of us aren’t builders or work in construction, so it’s a challenge to make sure we are buying a quality house when we’re searching for our future home. This is especially the case when it comes to buying a used tiny house because there […] More
10 Shares What Do Ducks Eat? Ducks, like chickens, are omnivores. So what do ducks eat? Typically, ducks eat foraged food including weeds, seeds, grasses, slugs, and other pests. Ducks also eat natural, homemade feed or commercial feed. To know what ducks want and need to eat, look no further than a wetland in your local park. There, in the early morning, you’ll […] More
35 Shares Plants That Will Help Save The Bees It’s no secret that our environment has been suffering over the years. The state of the bee population is one of the issues that worries me the most. Honey bees, along with other bees, butterflies and pollinators are responsible for the health and growth of a large percentage of our flowering plants. Pollinators like honey […] More
9 Shares Outdoor Sofa – Our Top 30, Including Sets And Sectionals There’s nothing quite like coming home from work, kicking your shoes off, and relaxing with a good book on the couch. But when the weather is nice, of course, you want to spend a bit of time outside. Why not take the comfort of the indoors out?! With an outdoor sofa you can enjoy the […] More
10 Shares Bee Balms Or Bee Bums? “Mom,” my six-year-old called from the front walk where he had been riding his bike back and forth. He had paused in front of my display of red and purple, firework-like flowers and admired them. At an age where he wanted to know everything, it wasn’t unexpected that he would ask about the different flowers […] More
15 Shares Shade Plants: 15 Garden Greats To Grow In Full Or Partial Shade You are a garden warrior. You have taken the ground allotted to you in your acreage, however big or small, and have tilled the rough sod into soft, pillowy submission. Your compost has been aged to perfection and spread with care. The pH of your garden beds is impeccable. Leaf miners, cabbage borers, and slugs […] More
9 Shares 28 Stunning Outdoor Rugs: In Every Shape, Size, and Style Today’s trends are offering up so many cozy, comfy and beautiful options to bring the indoors out. From throw pillows to furniture, we’re seeing our patios and decks become “rooms” of their own. Accessorizing our homes is one of the best ways we can show off our own signature style. It’s especially nice to find […] More
6 Shares Homemade Vinegar Vinegar: Making it is easier than you think. In its simplest form, vinegar is alcohol that has been diluted and fermented. You can use fruit juice, fruit scraps, wine, or beer. If given the chance to ferment, they will eventually turn into vinegar. What one does with “not great” wine (any other ideas, let me […] More
11 Shares Outdoor Benches: 25 Unique Styles From Rustic To Modern No one has ever gone into their backyard and thought, “Wow, there are just too many places to sit!” In fact, it seems to be the opposite! It feels like no matter how prepared you are, there is always one guest standing awkwardly between two ferns. First and foremost, outdoor benches offer more seating for you and […] More
11 Shares 20 Fire Pit Ideas To Make The Summer Last All Year Long No matter what time of year it is, an outdoor fire always gets people excited. There’s something magical about gathering around with friends and family, making s’mores, or toasting with your favorite cocktails. When it comes to deciding which kind of fire pit makes sense for your own yard, there’s such a wide array of […] More
