If you enjoy your current plant varieties, you may want to save the seeds for next year. A healthy garden, both flowers and vegetables, is certainly something to be proud of. Inevitably there will be …
Growing Saffron Crocus Bulbs
Known around the globe as a spice worth more than its weight in gold, saffron is expensive, but the intense color and incredible flavor it brings to food is priceless. A single grain of pure saffron …
How To Start A Blueberry Patch With Three Plants
There are many reasons why you should introduce blueberries into your landscape, and the first is they’re delicious. Blueberries are a tiny, but mighty fruit that packs a punch. Full of …
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Our Dead Trees Became Living Fungal Art
Fungi are remarkable, and after many trees fell in our yard we discovered the beauty of living fungal art. Trees--they’re beautiful when healthy, but even long-living, solid trees can meet an …
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Biochar
When I first heard all the hype surrounding biochar, it was hard for me to believe that a material that looked as simple as charcoal could be the solution to some really serious issues. Biochar may be …
Plantain Weed
Learning about Mother Nature’s edible and healing plants is a critical component of living a sustainable, self-sufficient, and prepared lifestyle. Broadleaf Plantain, commonly pronounced plan-tin, …
Planting Currant Bushes
Currants are a great addition to any homestead. Native to the United States, currants are a flavorful and versatile berry used in jellies, jams, wine, cordials, puddings, and pies. Currants, no matter …
How To Make A Healing Salve From Backyard “Weeds”
Before I was interested in natural ways of healing, I had no problem reaching for the common OTC cough syrups, ointments, and multi-syllabic pills available at my local big box store. However, as I …
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Rock Garden: How To Build Your Own
Does your homestead landscape have some empty space that could become a rock garden? Also known as a rockery, a rock garden adds dramatic year-round visual interest to any landscape while expanding …
How To Get Rid Of Pests In Your Vegetable Garden
Pests can harm your garden, but there are natural solutions available. A new piece of property, fertile soil, and lots of sun and water is all you should need for a successful vegetable garden. …
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Growing Cucumbers
Growing cucumbers is a rewarding experience. Nothing is quite as satisfying on a hot day as that juicy crunch when you bite into a fresh cucumber. These delicious vegetables can be a little tricky …
Indigenous Microorganisms (IMO)
It can be difficult to have a symbiotic relationship with microorganisms when you live in a world where Purell hand sanitizer dispensers line the wall of every doctor’s office and the words “bacteria” …
How To Remove Bramble Bushes
What is a bramble? For me it’s that spiky annoyance that scratches your arms and grabs your pant legs unexpectedly when you’re trying to take a walk or weed your garden. It’s prickly, invasive, …
English Garden Inspiration For Your Yard
As homes become more condensed, an English garden may be the perfect solution to a homeowner's planting needs. Twenty years ago, we moved into a small, two-story, three-bedroom house in the …
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Companion Planting For Sweet Corn
Companion planting can help you grow delicious sweet corn. The gardening method combines good neighbor flowers, herbs and vegetables that support the growth of each other. Good neighbor plants can …
Polycarbonate Greenhouses
"Plastic" and "durability" aren't usually words that should go together, but in the case of greenhouses they can. Long-lasting polycarbonate is worth considering as the covering material for your …
Growing Shiitake Mushrooms
We got involved with Shiitake Mushrooms through our Agricultural Cooperative Extension Agency. (This is a great resource for any farmer. Make it a point at least to visit your local office and see the …
How To Get Rid Of Mosquitoes (Without All Of The Chemicals)
Nothing ruins a lazy, summer afternoon with a book and a tall glass of iced tea like a swarm of hungry mosquitoes. They buzz, they fly, they pinch and bite. Not to mention they can carry dangerous …
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Companion Planting For Melons
As any experienced gardener will tell you, it takes a whole lot more than sun and soil to successfully cultivate a homestead garden. Moisture, nutrition, as well as weed and pest control are …
Companion Planting For Okra
Companion planting is an organic method of disease and pest control accomplished by planting two or more types of plants, which have advantageous symbiotic relationships, near each other within a …
Growing Broccoli
Broccoli is an undervalued but delicious crop that is easy to grow in many climates and versatile in the kitchen. If you are new to broccoli, or just looking to improve your harvest, find some tips …
The 25 Most Gorgeous Garden Stools You Can Buy
You know how you sometimes have a dead space in a room, or on your deck or patio? You needs something that takes the place of furniture, but won't eat up much space. Garden stools are the answer, and …
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Bald Eagle Attacks Chicken
Reddit user mvar posted this near death experience for one of his chickens. The lesson, as always, is to have surveillance video covering your entire homestead so you don't miss amazing stuff …
The History Of World Naked Gardening Day
Wikipedia would like you to believe that World Naked Gardening Day started in 2005. But our photographic evidence proves a much earlier origin for this holiday, on the first Saturday in May, when …
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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 …
How To Sharpen Garden Tools
Ever tried to slice a tomato with a dull knife? In a pinch, I’ve tried. The jagged pink slabs I made might as well have been cut with a hammer and chisel. Broadly speaking, the same logic applies …
Outdoor Planters
Choosing the right planters will infuse your personality and taste into your outdoor living space. Just treat it like you would the rest of your home! Choose outdoor furniture and accessories …
Growing Basil
Nothing adds that je ne sais quoi to a dish like basil. Whether you use it as a garnish, a dried seasoning, or in pesto, basil is delicious. And lucky for us, it’s not hard to grow! Here are some tips …
Growing Onions
Onions are easy to grow, and they're the first ingredient in my culinary toolbox. Almost every dish I make starts with caramelized onions, so my garden is never complete until I have grown my season’s …
How To Start Transplants
Winter's almost over. Have you started your plants yet? This gardener can proudly say yes! In the late winter months, serious gardeners begin asking one another this question. As the …
Companion Planting For Strawberries
The sweetest, juiciest strawberries you’ll ever enjoy will come from a home garden. By growing strawberries at home, you'll enjoy fully ripened, chemical-free berries. Like other homegrown …
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Soil Testing
The gardener’s greatest asset is healthy soil. No matter where you are or what you are trying to grow, taking care of your soil will help your crops. Learning soil science can be overwhelming. It …
Garden Shed Kits
I vividly remember parasailing across a South Dakota home improvement store parking lot. Not on purpose. I'd picked up a vinyl shed panel in the wind. It was 6:15 am and I’d just been sent to clean up …
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 …
Garden Planners
A vegetable garden can give you organic, fresh produce year-round. But, as vegetables vary greatly in size, spacing, harvest time and growing conditions, planning tools are an essential part of any …
Landscape Design Software
Landscape and garden design can be one of the most enjoyable aspects or property ownership, but it's more complicated than you might think. Long-term landscaping requires knowledge of your …
Buying Ethical Meat At The Store
So you’re at the supermarket, standing in the chilly wasteland of the meat aisle. You’re looking at all the options and wondering how do you really know which brand or label is better for the …
Planter Box Plans
Create a true gardenscape by moving your plants beyond the pot. Create your own planter boxes with these free online designs. I searched the internet to try and find a planter box to match just about …
Pecan Trees: Managing A Pecan Grove
Throughout much of the southwestern United States, pecan trees flourish. A tough and hardy tree, pecan trees can live and produce nuts for as long as 300 years. Pecan trees enhance the environment and …
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Kitchen Compost Bin Options
With a greater focus on the environment than ever before, more and more people are trying to figure out how they can make a positive impact. If this sounds like you, then indoor composting might be a …
How To Grow Hops In Your Backyard
We live in the rugged mountains of Western North Carolina. Some question the suitability of growing hops here, or think that growing hops is a new idea. To some it may be new, but those of us who are …
Michelle Obama’s White House Vegetable Garden Will Likely Be Permanent
Turning a home over to new owners is never easy. All the renovations and decor you fretted over—the new owners may hate it and tear it out. All that work, dumped in the trash. Michelle Obama did not …
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Best Canning Recipes
Canning is a fun project that gets your hands dirty, keeps your food fresh, and gives you a last-minute gift option when the holidays roll around. The key to successful canning is starting with a …
10 Awesome New Inventions For Homesteaders
Handy Camel Bag Clip The problem: Most bag clips are cheaply-made and used for light stuff like bags of chips. The solution: A hardy clip that seals bags without puncturing them, since the plastic …
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How Sunflowers Follow The Sun
Plants exist in a permanent spot on the Earth, while animals travel around it. That doesn't mean plants don't move—many orient themselves toward the sun as the day goes on. I've definitely had Sundays …
The Best Photos From The 2016 National Heirloom Exposition
In 2011, the National Heirloom Exposition started off as a simple gathering of people wanting to celebrate pure food and sustainable living. It has since blossomed into the world's largest heritage …
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Minnesota Homesteader Grows Beans From 1,500-Year-Old Seed
Homesteading expert Jackie Clay achieved a minor miracle in her garden this summer—growing pole beans from a 1,500-year-old seed. Obviously your local garden store doesn’t stock such a thing. Jackie …
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Earth Overshoot Day
Like a child devouring a batch of cookies, we humans are using Mother Earth's resources faster than she can replenish them. But just how fast? The Global Footprint Network created Earth Overshoot …
Zero-Waste Grocery Shopping for Beginners
Inspired by trash-free enthusiast Lauren Singer, this month I tried zero-waste grocery shopping, and it was awesome! Here are some tips to get you started. Last month at Wanderlust I was introduced …
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Too Many Apples Broke This Apple Tree
My Dad's running a gardening experiment in his backyard. What happens if you let an apple tree fully fruit, instead of thinning the smaller fruits in the spring? This is what happens: Yes, …
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