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 overโthe 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 moveโmany 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 summerโgrowing pole beans from a 1,500-year-old seed. Obviously your local garden store doesnโt 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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Meet Farallon And Roanoke, Tumbleweed Tiny House Company’s Newest Models
You now have two more dream tiny home possibilities, as Tumbleweed Tiny House Company just announced two new designs. Both designs answer a common request from Tumbleweed customers: Give us a house …
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NatureZap: Weed With Light, Not Chemicals Or Fire
Small weeds lodged in cracks are unsightly and aggravating. The traditional options for dealing with them are: Spray them with noxious chemicals. Get on your hands and knees and attack them …
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QUIZ: Which State Does Your Food Come From?
All the information for this quiz came from the 2016 USDA Vegetables Annual Summary. For just about every other vegetable or fruit they track, California grows the most, by far. …
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Pollinators
This spring, my partner and I planted a small orchard on our new property. We ran into some confusion when deciding how far apart to plant our chestnut trees. Turns out there isnโt a simple answer, …
Galvanized Water Trough Planters
We've been looking for a good option for raised planters that were taller than some of our raised garden beds made with wood. After plenty of scrounging around on the internet, we ended up deciding …
Best Dehydrator Recipes
If you're lucky enough to have an overabundance of fruit, veggies, or meat, you also have a problem. How to preserve this bounty? Refrigeration may only keep the stuff fresh for a few days. Freezing? …
Understanding GMO Foods
The first time I heard the phrase โGMOโ was at a rally, and I had to ask my 9th-grade science teacher what it meant. That was before ballot initiatives demanding GMO labelling and before Non-GMO …
Bark Furniture And Accessories
Birch-Bark is waterproof and will not rot, its familiar surface is richly graphic. Birch-Bark has been used for millennia in the making ofย canoes, wigwams, scrolls, Buddhist manuscripts, maps …
Dewdrops On Dragonflies
Dewdrops on Dragonflies, all photos captured by Martin Ammย Red Veined Darter covered in dew -ย Martin Amm Dragonfly Portrait with Dew-ย Martin Amm Emerald Damselfly -ย Martin …
Gutter Gardening
Gutter sculpture watering system... maison-deco.com During a very heavy rainstorm I would imagine dirt and water must pour out of these pretty gutters. Lakeside cottage, Lake …
Brushwood Fence
Using undergrowth, twigs, tips and small branches to make fences. Brushwood fences were probably one of the earliest fence types constructed in Japan. Today brushwood fences are very popular in …
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 …
Metal Fire Pits
Few things express summer more than the smell of a campfire while sitting out under the stars. Add some marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers and you have the perfect setup for a summer …
Organic Codling Moth Control
In Western Washington, our apple trees have two major enemies: codling moths and apple maggots. While codling moths can be a nuisance (they donโt ruin the apple), apple maggots can leave the entire …
Mycelium Guide
What Is Mycelium? Mycelium is the vegetative part of a fungus. It is a network of cells living within and throughout almost all landmasses on Earth. More than 8 miles of these cells can be found in a …
Worm Bin Essentials: Getting Started with Vermiculture
Starting a worm bin can feel overwhelming - where do I keep it? What kind of worms do I need? What if it smells awful? What if I kill my worms? Not to worry! Humans have been throwing food scraps in …
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Bicycle Art
Every year about 109 million bicycles are produced, and 140 million people are born. That adds up to lots of extra bikes to make art with. Burning Man Festival 2007 by Mark Grieve and Ilana …
Green Roof Inspiration
A green roofโessentially, a garden atop any office building or homeโhelps save energy, promote drainage, and feed you. Why Build a Green Roof? Sod roofs are common on the Faroe Islands, west …
Greenhouses from Old Windows and Doors
Calling all used awning windows, bay windows, storm doors, and clerestories back to service. 1) Recycled Window Greenhouse, Minnesota Greenhouse made from recycled windows by Jan and Ed …
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Human Urine As Fertilizer
A study out of Finland has found that plants fertilized with urine performed four times as well as nonfertilized plants and just as well as plants given commercial mineral fertilizer. Urine plus …
Firewood As Art
Firewood Sculpture By Jaehyo Lee Wood ring. By Jaehyo Lee. leeart.name Wood chair. By Jaehyo Lee. leeart.name Wood chair. By Jaehyo Lee. leeart.name Wood Stool. By Jaehyo Lee. …
Wattle Edging
Wattle edging has surrounded kitchen gardens since gardening began. Has seasonal pruning left you with numerous, long,ย flexible tree suckers and saplings? You will need to move fast, as those …
Gun Art
In Arizona the governor signed into law an order banning confiscated or surrenderedย guns from being destroyed. One solution: turn them into art. 'Gun Sculpture' byย Canadian artists Sandra Bromley …
Driftwood Sculpture
Carved by wind, water and sand, driftwood makes a striking material for sculpture. Driftwood Sculpture By Andries Botha Andries Botha has created more than 20 elephants from recycled materials …
Banksy’s Environmental Message
Banksy is the pseudonym of an English graffiti artist, political and environmental activist, film director, and painter. His true identity is unknown. These images are very powerful. The …
Willow Tree Sculptures
Living willow structures or fences start with live cut rods or withies. Once inserted in the ground, they take root. Willow sculpture may use green wood but the rods are not planted, so the sculpture …
Succulent Art
Just a spritz of water here and there and succulents take care of themselves. These artistic sculptures utilize wireframes and other methods to keep succulents in place. Succulent Topiary, created …
Fairy Houses
Supply a home to our ethereal friends in your backyard, in a park, or in your city apartment. Great fun with kids, as the activity is usually outside in nature, and sparks imagination and creative …
Terrace Farming
Farmland shaped into terraces are built for long-term success. When it rains, instead of washing away the soil, the soil stays in place. Nutrients are also held in place or carried down to the next …
Chicken Wire Sculpture
Why sculpt out of chicken wire? Ask the artist who's started a Kickstarter to fund 8-foot high chicken wire sculpture of Minnie Pearl. "When people see sculptures, they often walk straight past but …
Moss Art
Bringing out the beauty of this 350-million-year-old plant. Mud Maiden Lost Gardens of Heligan, Cornall, England www.heligan.com Mud Maiden Lost Gardens of Heligan, Cornall, …
Insect Hotel
What Is An Insect Hotel? Insect hotels are winter lodgings for your backyard crawling and flying bugs. Usually made of found or upcycled materials around your yard, these hotels consist of …
Flatpack Urban Farm Grows 6.6 Tons of Food in 538 Square Feet
Thisย flatpack urban farm only takes up 538 square feet, but its creatorsย say that it can yieldย as much as 6 tonnes (6.6 tons) of fresh produce per year. Danish company Human Habitat has developed a …
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Urban Agriculture
Urban Agriculture: Outside on the ground and on the roof. Today the average food item travels 1300 to 1500 miles from farm to plate. Frank Lloyd Wright's Broadacre City - Plan for The Living City. …
Organic Choices
CC Photo by Roving-Aye! on Flickr Fruits And Vegetables with Lowest Pesticide Loads: For detailed USDA specifics see below... Onions: Insects leave onions alone. Scallions: Insects leave them …
Farm to Table
Farm to Table School Lunch Programs: www.farmtoschool.org National Farm to School Program is a collaborative program of Center for Food & Justice and the Community Food Security Coalition. Program …
Living Walls (Green Walls)
A living wall, or green wall, is a gorgeous display of life that helps to keep buildings cool. Green Walls By Patrick Blanc The Caixa Forum in Madrid. Patrick Blanc vertical designer. The …
Straw Bale Greenhouses
Biointensive Passive Solar Straw Bale Greenhouse A winter greenhouse also used as a summer harvest dehydrator. Via ourhandmadelife.com. Greenhouse under construction in Michigan. Via …
Shed of the Year
UPDATE: After readers voted, the 2016 Shed of the Year Finalists have been named. Next, a panel of shed experts will pick winner. While we make no claim to shed expertise, here's who we'd choose in …