Just because your yard, porch, or plot of land is permanently sitting in dappled shade, it doesnโt mean you have to give up on gardening or providing your family with homegrown goodness. Plenty of vegetables are perfectly capable of growing in partial shade. Youโd be surprised at just what you CAN grow! Full Sun, Partial
Search Results for: grow your own
How to Create a Tree Nursery
A tree nursery is a designated area where young trees are cultivated and grown. They are made to grow vigorous, healthy, young trees. Tree nurseries help support young trees by protecting them from outside dangers (i.e., weather, animals) and competition from other vegetation. Think of it as a preschool; a place small children go before
7 Of The Easiest Vegetables To Grow
Do you wish to practice self-sufficiency and grow and preserve your own vegetables — but are concerned that you have little time to tend a garden? No worries! There are lots of easy-to-grow vegetables that won’t take too much time and effort to grow successfully. Many homesteaders new to vegetable gardening are intimidated by the
๐ป Gardening
Gardening is a cornerstone of both homesteading and sustainability. Nothing is quite as local as growing your food in your own backyard! Gardeners can come in all sorts of shapes and forms, from the apartment-dwelling indoor gardener to the 20-acre owning permaculturist. Whether you have a few plant containers to maintain or entire fields of
Homestead Stories: How Does It Grow?
I use a lot of cinnamon when baking. I love the smell it leaves in my cupboard, the aroma that wafts through the house when Iโm baking, and of course, the flavor. That said, cinnamon is expensive. I think my last jar cost close to 15.00 USD. I use so much that I always buy
How To Grow Victory Gardens
During both World War I and World War II, people with land (even small parcels) planted victory gardens — also known as war gardens or food gardens for defense. It was a means to feed the family, to supplement the restrictions enforced with rationing, and to ease the food chain. Victory gardens provided people with
A Guide To Growing Lettuce Indoors For Fresh, Delicious Greens All Year Round
Is growing lettuce indoors possible? Absolutely! In fact, lettuce is one of the easiest vegetables to grow both outside and indoors. When the temperatures drop below zero, itโs possible to grow delicious, tender, leaves of lettuce inside the comfort of your own home. Sun Requirements All plants need some degree of sunlight (lettuce included). However,
10 of the Best Wine Grapes to Grow at Home
If youโre a wine enthusiast looking to venture into creating your own vintage, a relocation to Napa Valley isnโt necessary. Using some of the best wine grapes grown in a home garden will allow anyone to produce quality and delicious wine. Growing grapes to create wine at home can seem like a daunting task, but
How To Grow Truffles
If youโve ever heard of truffles or been lucky enough to taste them, itโs probably been in the context of gourmet dining. A truffle is a type of edible fungi thatโs much more difficult to cultivate than other types. Like other crops requiring patience, truffles are considered a delicacy and fetch a high price because
8 Best Plants for Clay Soil
Clay soil can be a challenge for gardeners. However, some plants can tolerate and benefit from those growing conditions. Shallow-rooted vegetables, for example, can tolerate clay, and others can benefit from the stability of heavy clay soil. Root crops like potatoes and daikon radishes help break up clay. One of the issues with rich clay
How To Grow Bamboo
Bamboo is an amazing plant! It has so many benefits to offer on so many levels. Not only does bamboo produce oxygen, which helps to clean the area where you grow your plants, but many varieties are edible! And above all, gardening is just great for your health in general. Unfortunately, growing bamboo is often
California Passes Neighborhood Food Act
California gov. Jerry Brown signed the Neighborhood Food Act into law last week, asserting the rights of individuals to grown produce on their land.
Lucky Bamboo
Lucky bamboo is a fascinating little house plant. Adorable and easy to grow, they are quite common in homes around the world. Yet there are some myths that we need to get out of the way before we discuss this plant. Firstly, one of the most interesting things about lucky bamboo is that it is
10 Greenhouse Plants To Get A Jumpstart On The Gardening Season
When you started gardening, you probably had dreams about all the different plants you’d grow. You imagined heaping piles of tomatoes, cucumbers to make more pickles than you could eat in one winter, and a never-ending supply of bright red bell peppers. If you have a greenhouse, all those dreams can be possible, even if
Long Beans: How To Grow, Harvest, and Cook This Delicious Legume
Our first year on the homestead, before we got all our gardens started, we bought the bulk of our fresh produce at the local farmers market. I remember one sunny, late-summer morning when I spied a glossy, purply-green bunch of unbelievably long beans at a vendorโs stall. Generous handfuls of beans were tied in neat
7 Fruits To Grow In Containers On Your Patio Or Balcony
Once upon a time, fruits didnโt have much of a place in my garden. I didn’t really know it was possible to grow fruit trees or bushes in my small plot. I always imagined that fruits were best grown in tropical climates and in gardens with a lot of space. At the time, I was
9 Beautiful Water Plants For Your Aquatic Garden Or Pond
Spring has come. For the winter-weary gardener, the chance to finally get back out into the wonderful world of soil and sprouts is exhilarating. Within a few short weeks, garden beds are awake and planted, pots are filled and placed back on the porch, and flower beds are tenderly mulched. And then โฆ all that
How To Grow, Harvest, And Use The Humble Fennel Plant
We didnโt go to farmers’ markets often when I was a kid. When we did, my dad always purchased a fennel bulb with the huge spray of feathery leaves that make it so attractive. I think he liked how it looked sticking out of the bag he carried. He would rip off a few leaves,
13 Beneficial Chicken-Friendly Plants To Grow Next To Coops
If you’ve had chickens for long, you probably have noticed that they eat all day long. They peck and scratch at the soil and eat every last bit of our kitchen scraps and leftovers. Letting your chickens free-range, or giving them access to plenty of natural vegetation and/or rotating their grazing parameters, is the key
Homestead Stories: Growing Vegetables Indoors
The growing season is too short and I long for fresh vegetables year-round. Whilst most supermarkets have fresh produce (at a price depending on where it came from), thereโs nothing quite like growing oneโs own food, indoors or out, and enjoying the benefits of the harvest. I have had considerable success growing lettuce and herbs
4 Grow-Your-Own Kits To Jump Start Your Kitchen Garden
Summer is winding down, but that doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to all the deliciousness of organic, locally grown food. Here are four options that make it easy to continue growing food inside the comfort of your own home.
How To Grow Sunflowers
I love sunflowers. Sunflowers display a bright splash of cheerful color against the garden fence, they provide an abundant crop of seeds which both our family and the birds enjoy, and they are so easy to grow. It doesn’t matter if you have a green thumb or not. If you can stick a seed in
How to Save Bean Seeds
Beans are an incredibly exciting plant to grow. This may come as a surprise to folks whose experience with the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is limited to the limp, gray-green cylinders that glorp out of a can and boil to depressingly mushy. If that’s the only way you know beans, I am delighted to introduce
17 Of The Best Hanging Plants To Add Beautiful Greenery To Your Home
One of the most recent trends in home decor includes adding greenery to your home. Hanging baskets allow you to grow beautiful plants without sacrificing counter space. Hanging plants can add greenery inside your home and have been proven over and over to have positive impacts on your health and the air quality in your
10 Types Of Moss For Your Garden
Thereโs something mysterious and intriguing about moss. Maybe itโs because of the way it drapes over trees and rocks in places like the Hoh Rain Forest of Washington state. It looks like a land outside time. Or maybe itโs a bit of residual childlike wonder from the days we were small enough to crouch on
Growing Spinach
Originally hailing from 4th-century Persia, Spinacia Oleracea or spinach has a long and storied past as a health tonic, a poor manโs 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 reasonโtheyโre fantastic
15 Trellis Plants For Your Wall, Pergola, And Arbor
Pergolas, arbors, and trellises look mighty boring without a plant wrapped around their nooks and crannies. But why should you bother finding trellis plants to cover your garden structure? It might be to provide privacy, add a decorative element, or save space in a small area. And if youโve run out of room on the
Everything Basil
Of all the herbs, basil is by far my favorite. The sweet, subtle aroma washes over me like velvet. And the taste? It certainly embellishes many of my savory dishes with flair. The benefits of this luscious herb are multiple. And the best part is that itโs easy to grow, both indoors and out. Consequently,
Edible Landscaping: The Basics And Plants To Get Started
What if you could turn your yard into an edible landscape with fruits, vegetables, and herbs? Edible landscaping, also known as foodscaping, brings more homegrown foods into your life while beautifying your home landscaping. And it’s easier than you think! While a lush green lawn is lovely in its own way, edible landscaping is, as
Chia Plants: How To Grow and Harvest Chia Seeds
Chia seeds are nutritional powerhouses and have a huge range of versatility in the kitchen. They are my very favorite seed to use in the kitchen. But what about chia plants? In this article, we’re going to look at how to grow these awesome little plants that are easy to grow and beautiful to look at.
How to Grow an Avocado Plant
Avocados have long been considered a perfect food. If the avocado were newly discovered today, it would be marketed as a miracle food. Irresistibly flavorful with a smooth, creamy texture, avocados should be part of everyoneโs daily diet. Indigenous to Mexico and Central America, avocado trees thrive in sub-tropical and tropical climates around the world.
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
Heirloom Seeds: What Are They?
Heirloom seeds are what our great-grandparents called โseeds.โ My mother often complained during my childhood that you couldnโt buy tomatoes like her grandmother grew. The tomatoes in the grocery stores were hard, mealy, and tasteless. When a farmerโs market opened in our neighborhood, she would buy a bag of heirloom tomatoes every week and eat
Growing Lionโs Mane Mushrooms
Hericium erinaceus, or lionโs mane, is among the commonly cultivated mushrooms on the market. Its distinctive fuzzy texture resembles a lionโs mane or pom-pom. Not only are these mushrooms prized in cooking, theyโre used as medicinal mushrooms worldwide. Lionโs mane is used to treat inflammation, digestive issues, depression, anxiety, and more. Lionโs mane grows in
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, cauliflower, potatoes, and hearty greens like collards and kale, which do quite well in cooler weather. Other autumn favorites include carrots, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and gorgeous beets in all
How to Plant, Grow, and Harvest Yacon Root
With a sweet taste and crisp texture similar to apple, yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) is a flavor-packed root vegetable that’s quickly gaining popularity with homestead gardeners. Yacon is a tasty treat to put away for winter. Yacon tubers are stored the same way as any other root vegetable and can be dehydrated, pickled, or canned. Dried
How to Grow the Vanilla Plant
Donโt you just love the fragrance and flavor of vanilla? Most folks do. In fact, the United States is the second largest consumer of vanilla per capita worldwide. While much of the world’s vanilla extract is synthetic, gourmet chefs and foodies alike know there is nothing like the flavor of pure, natural vanilla to add
๐ Vegetable Gardening
Thereโs something that is so fulfilling about taking a walk in your garden with a bowl and coming back into the kitchen with a full salad. Vegetable gardening is a fun and rewarding activity that is accessible to all sorts of gardeners, whether you have 20 garden beds or just a few containers. With so many vegetables to
12 Delicious Types Of Basil To Grow In Your Garden
It may be hard to believe, but there was a time when I hated all types of basil. I found it overly pungent, and it always seemed to overpower any dish. Thinking back on it, I might have been tasting bad quality basil — either basil that was past its prime or grown in stressed
Homestead Stories: The Many Shades of Sunflowers
I had just transplanted my sunflower seedlings when a friendly neighbor popped over. โDonโt forget to stake them up,โ she suggested — always full of useful advice. โAnd place plastic forks all around them. Squirrels will dig up seedlings in search of the seed.โ โNasty squirrels,โ I grumbled. She was right about them. I use
Growing Potatoes (The Best Varieties, Avoiding Disease, And Harvesting Tips)
Potatoes have a place in our kitchen and our culture that is unlike any other crop. They are cheap to buy and easy to grow. They are filling and delicious. From the Irish potato famine to the American potato chip, no other vegetable carries a legacy of such mythic proportions. And can you really call
Foraging For Wild Berries
If you are looking to find berry variety beyond what your local grocery store or farmer’s market offers, you can look to berry foraging to seek and find a delicious array of berry options in your backyard or further afield. When foraging for wild berries, you’ll learn about your environment, connect with nature, and diversify
Companion Plants For Potatoes
It’s easy to cultivate potatoes on a homestead, and it’s well worth it: they’re a staple food that can be used in almost any kind of cooking. If you grow your own potatoes, you can be sure that they’re organic, non-GMO, and pesticide free. You can easily store them withoutย freezing, drying or canning. Companion plantsโplants
15 Different Types of Alaskan Berries
The Last Frontier, the 49th state, land of the midnight sun, or in other words, Alaska. The state many dream to visit and few actually do. Alaska is home to some of the worldโs most beautiful natural wonders: the arctic and associated tundra, North Americaโs tallest mountain (Denali), megafauna ranging from muskox to polar bears,
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 youโre looking for a constant source of aloe vera for its medicinal worth, or if you simply love the look of the
How To Make Money Growing Trees
Planting trees can help the environment, and your wallet. Agro-farming methods incorporate trees into the homestead landscape. In turn, the trees provide food and shelter for wildlife, and help control erosion. Additionally, the methods serve as a windbreak and offer shade and shelter to people, plants, and animals. From a homesteading standpoint, agro-farming helps to
10 Of The Best Vine Plants To Add To Your Landscape
Are you looking to up your landscaping game this year? Have you considered adding vining or climbing plants? Vine plants can add a unique, vertical element to any landscape. Use them to climb walls, archways, gazebos, and pergolas or for trellises and fences. You can even plant smaller vine plants in hanging containers and watch them
Grow Healthy, Flavorful Fruit With The Best Fertilizer For Tomatoes
โYou get your tomatoes in yet?โ My neighbor smiled with his usual good-natured grin, but there was no denying the competitive edge to his voice. This was no mere neighborly exchange. It was the opening to a summer-long challenge where plants were pawns and bragging rights, the prize. As a newcomer to the Ozarks, I
The Many Varieties Of Mint
The little, red squirrel was determined, Iโll say that much. He, I assume it was a he because he couldnโt 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 donโt know why; there was
Growing Herbs Indoors
The long, cold, winter months or even the fate of living in a small apartment are not enough to stifle the need for fresh herbs. The smell of basil, the sight of green cilantro, is something that we should be able to enjoy all year round, no matter where we live. If itโs the weather,