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Homesteading & Sustainability
When you start gardening, you start the process of raising your own food from the soil and cooking meals you grew with your own hands. It’s an amazing feeling, but as you begin to read gardening …
Continue Reading about 6 Different Ways To Use Thinnings and Scraps →
What’s your favorite apple? I have many favorites: Braeburn, McIntosh, Snow, Northern Spy, Wolf River, Cortland, or Cox's Orange Pippin. I don’t think there’s an apple I don’t like, though I have to …
Continue Reading about Homestead Stories: Black-Skinned Apples →
You can call them willow hedges but maybe a more accurate term? "Fedges" = fence + hedge. Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix (Latin for willow), a grouping of 400-ish species of …
Ever been to an international grocery market and didn’t recognize half of the fruits that were stocked? Or how about a tropical vacation where you had the opportunity to feast on new and exotic …
Continue Reading about 15 Tropical Fruits You Should Know About →
Ever wanted to try your hand at vinification (winemaking)? Not sure where to start? Think it's too expensive, time-consuming, or complicated? Well, I've got news for you. It can be expensive, …
I love my orchids. I have all shapes, sizes, and colors of orchids, and I know there are a lot more to consider adding to my collection. I’ve written about the more common orchids and I’ve written …
Continue Reading about Homestead Stories: Orchids That Look Like Birds →
Would you like to cultivate unique species in your garden that serve dual functions? Do you have toothaches and pains? Fungus infections? Are you in need of enhancing your digestion or immunity? Or …
Though it's outside, there's really nothing all that natural about the picture-perfect lawn. Artificially grown, watered, fertilized, and maintained, it's a strange picture of modernity. We've made …
Continue Reading about 10 Ground Cover Plants to Replace Your Grass Lawn →
It’s that time of year again! The birds are heading south, and the hearth fires are ablaze. Having a campfire out under the stars on a chilly night is one thing. Trying to heat your home with a wood …
Continue Reading about Different Types of Firewood To Use & To Avoid →
What makes a plant rare? Or anything for that matter? Well, it’s rare if there are only a few examples in existence. The Middlemist red (scientifically identified as unspecified Camellia), a deep …
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Interested in permaculture and not sure what to plant? This could be a great article to get ideas for unique and useful permaculture species! Before we begin, let's talk about what permaculture …
I mentioned in my post about building raised beds that I chose to add New Zealand white clover to the edges of the raised bed to act as a living mulch. First off, I should explain what a living mulch …
Continue Reading about 6 Reasons Why I Chose Clover as a Living Mulch →
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), there’s nothing quite like growing …
Continue Reading about Homestead Stories: Growing Vegetables Indoors →
Turnips are great for any garden, and you can use companion planting to help them grow even better. Permaculture Research Institute describes companion planting as “A gardening method which makes use …
I love growing fresh cucumbers in my country garden and enjoy having plenty for salads and pickling. Most seasons, I have lots left over to share with friends and family or to sell at the …
Of the thousands of plants growing wild in nature, most are considered common weeds. However, many of these plants have healing, therapeutic properties. When out exploring nature, don't be …
Continue Reading about 6 Healing Herbs You Should Know About →
Had fun in the sun and now your skin is burned? Do you deal with irritating skin conditions such as acne, psoriasis, or eczema? Are you constipated or have digestive issues? What about dental plaque? …
Continue Reading about Ethically Harvesting & Processing Aloe Vera →
If you enjoy grilling outdoors, eggplant is a must in the homestead garden. Companion planting and a bit of effort will help ensure a bountiful harvest of succulent, sun-blessed orbs. During the …
My friend passed the paper, and I read the headline: “Invasive Weed Killing Animals -- Wow! That’s scary. What else does burdock kill?” “Just about everything in its path by the sound of …
Do you love mild, crisp peppers in a broad spectrum of colors? Or hot red chili peppers that make your taste buds tingle and your eyes water? Grow peppers in your garden and you'll have an assortment …
Do you have dry, depleted soil on your homestead or farm? Does your soil not provide your plants with the appropriate nutrients to help them grow, and do you struggle to establish plants because of …
Continue Reading about How to Amend Arid & Nutrient-Depleted Soil →
August rolls around, and lots of us start looking at the garden with a sad sigh. The cucumbers are petering out. The tomatoes are still going strong, but the first frost (is it really looming …
Continue Reading about 8 Winter Vegetables You Should Plant In Your Garden →
“Not again,” I groaned. Perhaps I should have said, “Gnat again?” It seemed every time I opened a new bag of potting soil, my house became infested with these fruit fly-like critters. I know fungus …
Experienced organic gardeners bring diversity and balance to the garden with the age-old wisdom of companion planting, a time-tested method of close planting specific species based on their propensity …
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 …
When I first moved to California, the house we rented had a mature Fuyu persimmon tree in the front yard. I had never tasted them before and didn't know what to make of them or even how to eat a …
Continue Reading about How To Eat A Persimmon: 4 Easy Steps To Enjoy This Unique Fruit →
“Oh my! Those petals are translucent -- why is that?" It was eerie. Once again, I was visiting my friend and enjoying the array of plants in her garden. She had something new to show me, something …
Continue Reading about Homestead Stories: Skeleton Flowers →
A few years ago, I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Senegal, West Africa with the specific task of implementing agroforestry practices. Before this position, I was only vaguely familiar with …
Continue Reading about Live Fencing: What Is It and How to Implement It →
Companion planting is one of the very best ways to keep cabbage plants healthy and free from insect pests such cabbage loopers, cabbage root maggots, slugs, flea beetles, diamondback moths, and …
Chances are you have heard that probiotics are good for you. What are probiotics? WebMed.com tells us that: "Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are good for your health, especially your …
Continue Reading about 10 Probiotic-Rich Foods That Are Even Better Than Yogurt →
You can help your celery crop thrive with companion planting. Companion planting is a centuries-old method of organic gardening that places plants that support the growth and development of each …
Just because your yard, porch, or plot of land is permanently sitting in dappled shade, it doesn’t mean you have to give up on gardening or providing your family with homegrown goodness. Plenty of …
Continue Reading about 12 Vegetables That Can Grow In Shade →
Do you have an orchard or a beautiful fruit tree you would like to see produce more fruit? Are you interested in growing more fruit varieties but not necessarily planting more trees? And would you …
Since 2015, I have owned and operated a fully-permitted Tier 2 composting facility in Johnson City, Tennessee. We have grown every year and our future looks bright. If you have an entrepreneurial …
Continue Reading about How to Start a Compost Business (and Why) →
Foraging is more than a hobby. It’s a means of sustenance, and for some of us, it really is a way of life. Pretty much everyone has an idea that some wild plants are edible whether they work in a city …
Elvis sang about it. Gardeners loathe it. Old-timers grew up on it. Suburban moms are afraid of it and pull it out with gloves ... and foragers? They're inconsistent about it. It's a miracle cure, a …
There's one major challenge that applies to all levels of agriculture, from starting a garden to running an orchard, and everything that falls between. It's a shared challenge that growers …
Continue Reading about Introduction To Integrated Pest Management →
“Help!” I complained. “What is this plant? It’s taking over my garden!” My friend, always a great resource, had once again come to my aid. “I think that’s pachysandra. Very invasive. Pretty little …
I detest mosquitoes. I hate that itchy sensation they leave and the fact that they can carry Zika or the West Nile Virus. I also prefer not to use toxic chemical repellents like DEET. Especially when …
Continue Reading about 17 Natural Mosquito Repellent Options For The Home And Garden →
Organic farming! It's becoming more and more familiar and popularized these days. Every time you're at the grocery store, you see two different types of veggie options: organic or …
Lavender can help protect your garden as a companion plant. The biggest reason is that deer, rabbits and other wildlife nibblers tend to ignore lavender due to its strong odor. Lavender is easy to …
One of my earliest foraging memories is crouching in my childhood backyard. I nudged the leaves of a low-growing plant aside with a tiny, slightly grubby finger -- and the white flowers that were …
When you're planning your garden for the upcoming spring, you may find yourself quickly running out of space in your yard, garden beds, and hanging planters, but who says you have to pick and choose …
Continue Reading about 40 Large Planters For Trees And Flowers →
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 …
Habitat loss, climate change, and pesticide use have decreased butterfly populations. Unbeknownst to many butterflies do not live on nectar alone, some species prefer, even require, overripe fruit …
Continue Reading about How to Attract Butterflies to Your Garden →
Science tells us that indoor plants offer benefits such as reduced stress, improved attention, and a boost in productivity. Additionally, plants have a positive impact on a home’s indoor air …
Continue Reading about 20+ DIY Indoor Hanging Planters to Refresh Your Home →
The Forks Over Knives Diet is all the rage right now. Here's what you need to know about getting started and sticking with it. Okay so this is a bit of a new one: a film getting the celebrity diet …
Continue Reading about The Forks Over Knives Diet is Easier than You Think →
Have you ever wondered what grew on the planet before the Ice Age? There must have been plants of some description. How else would the prehistoric creatures have survived? Whatever happened to …
Continue Reading about 32,000 Years and Counting: Re-Seeding the World’s Oldest Plant →
You may have a beautiful garden but without a place nearby to sit, how can you admire it? While purchasing an outdoor bench may seem like the easiest solution, benches can be expensive -- and there's …
Continue Reading about 18 Free Garden Bench Plans for Your Outdoor Paradise →
Fizz away fatigue with all-natural, DIY bath bombs that transform bathwater into a fragrant, skin nurturing, stress-melting oasis. A quick search of the internet yields as many different recipes …
Continue Reading about 7 DIY Bath Bombs For a Soothing, Relaxing Soak →
