Gardening requires walking in dirt, and mud, and gravel, and mulch โ you get the idea. Garden shoes are work shoes, and they need to be able to hold up in rugged conditions and keep you comfortable. Letโs go through our top picks, followed by some basic criteria to look at when deciding which are
Search Results for: eco-home/eco-garden
5 Ways To Prevent Plant Disease
Any experienced gardener will tell you that when it comes to plant diseases, regardless of how much you weed, water, and worry, certain problems are beyond your control. There are, however, several things you can do to prevent or lessen the chance of plant disease in your garden. 1. Make Sure You’re Planting In The
Homestead Stories: Growing Wedding Flowers
I am the do-it-yourself type. Why hire someone to do it if you can do it yourself? This is my mantra, and part of the reasoning behind this mentality of mine is saving money. I am not cheap, but I am frugal. The main reason I enjoy tackling all sorts of projects is the experience
Cob Homes
Cob Homes
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 to use galvanized water troughs, also known as round end tanks, to fill these spaces in our yard. Check out
6 Reasons You Should Have Flowers in Your Vegetable Garden
With self-sufficiency as the someday goal, my first gardening days were purely practical. I browsed through seed catalogs with an iron will, bypassing the flower sections with a steely gaze — and a resolved set to my jaw. I was convinced I didn’t need that flouncy, frivolous, floral frippery in my veggie patch. I was
12 Stunning Driveway Ideas To Transform Your Home’s Exterior
After months of planning, house hunting, and endless emails to your very patient realtor, you’ve finally found the house of your dreams — but the driveway is showing every crack and oil spill from the previous owners, and maybe even the owners before them. Your home’s exterior is the first thing your family, friends, (and
8 Ways to Practice Homesteading While Living in a City
The (most recent) Back-to-the-Land Movement may have peaked in the 60s and 70s, but that doesnโt mean people havenโt had the desire for a more land-based way of life every decade before and since. Many armchair homesteaders find themselves tirelessly reading through the Storeyโs Guides to Livestock at their local library, browsing websites like Insteading
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
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,
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 required. While many gardeners treat their garden with commercial insecticides to prevent insect pests, these noxious chemicals have the adverse affect of
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
25+ Acid-Loving Plants For Your Garden
Experienced gardeners know: A healthy productive garden is one in which the plants are compatible with the pH of the soil. Not all soils are the same, and it’s important to recognize that many plants, shrubs, grasses, and trees require a specific nutrient balance. Some plants prefer a neutral soil, and others prefer a more
Sustaining Survival Gardens
Iโm not trying to sound apocalyptic with that title. Growing food has been a way of life for centuries. Long before farmers markets and grocery stores, people grew produce. It was a part of day-to-day living. Having enough food to sustain your family or household in times of need is security. If youโre like many
Homestead Stories: Types of Irises
Iโm not sure I have a favorite iris. Theyโre all so different, and unique. There are many varieties from bearded irises to the invasive yellow iris. There are also wild irises, which complement the domestic irises that populate many gardens. And the array of colors that sparkle on the blooms, itโs like a rainbow.
Uses And Benefits Of Cover Crops
What Are Cover Crops? Cover crops are planted in rotation with other crops to improve soil health, control erosion and hold nutrients. With the right rotation of cover crops for your climate and soil texture, you can increase your gardenโs yield and reduce your environmental footprint. Cover Crops: What Not To Do My first summer
12 Best Plants For Straw Bale Gardening
Straw bale gardening is an ideal way to overcome nutrient-limited soil. Like other forms of raised-bed gardening, straw bale gardening lets you control the nutrients in your soil. Straw bale gardening utilizes straw bales in place of other types of containers and is a low-maintenance, eco-friendly way to grow plants. Straw bale gardens consist of
Companion Planting For Beets
Do you want to improve the health and yield of your beet crop? Companion planting might be the answer. Companion planting is a time-tested, organic gardening method of planting compatible plants in close proximity to each other so that each may benefit from the other. Companion plants provide shade and shelter, control weeds, enrich the
Can I Compost Weeds?
Learn the best methods for composting both weeds, the optimal composting conditions, and alternative options if composting isn’t feasible.
Modern Underground Homes
Modern Underground Homes
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
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
Rodent Control Without Poison
As the weather starts to cool, rodents such as mice, rats, chipmunks, and squirrels attempt to find a warm place to stay well fed during the cold winter months. While these rodent pests are small, they can cause huge problems for homesteaders. Rodents contaminate food and indoor surfaces with salmonella and a diverse array of
16 DIY Bird Bath Plans
Bird baths can attract more birds to your garden and add a decorative element to your yard. Though you can find bird baths for sale at home improvement stores, DIY bird bath plans help you upcycle the clutter in your garage, or put broken items to good use again. Upcycling is a way to reuse
Sustainable Living
With the effects climate change growing more and more obviousโnow it’s actually shrinking the world’s reindeerโwe all want to do more to live sustainably. Here’s how you can start to take action right at home. Meat-Free Kitchen The agriculture and food production industry has grown into a major environmental threat as a growing source of
Can I Compost Grass Clippings?
Learn how to prepare grass clippings for composting with this comprehensive guide. Explore various composting methods, alternative uses for grass clippings, and important safety precautions to follow.
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
Companion Planting For Eggplant
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 height of the summer season, you will harvest several eggplants a week. Plant a few more, and they are a profitable cash crop
The Scoop on Organic Fertilizer: Is It Right for Your Garden?
Nothing could be simpler, or more complex, than organic fertilizer. Garden stores make it seem like it’s something that you buy in bags. Big Agriculture makes it seem like it’s something thatโs less efficient than chemical fertilizers, and therefore useless unless you have a special interest for using it. Online, the options for organic fertilizer
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 branches will become too stiff to weave soon after cutting. Drive stakes. Weave like a basket.ย The firmer you press the wattle down, the sturdier the fence
12 Beneficial Plants That Attract Dragonflies To The Garden
Swat! My right hand slapped my arm. โOne down, zillions more to go.โ I wasnโt one for using bug spray, and these pesky mosquitoes were leaving their itchy mark — though Iโd tried herbal alternatives to the chemically-based bug sprays. Even the mentholated smell of Vicks VapoRub had a minimal effect on these pests. Besides,
Growing Horseradish In The Homestead Garden
Horseradish, a member of the mustard family and a close cousin of both cauliflower and the common radish, deserves a place in the homestead garden. Cultivated for its thick, creamy white or yellowish roots, horseradish derives its heat from isothiocyanate, a unique volatile compound oxidized when exposed to air and saliva. The spicy taste, pungent
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 Erie. Paint your old gutters attach to painted stockade fence. www.bhg.com Painted gutter garden. How to:ย au.lifestyle.yahoo.com Gutters on fence – filled withย flowers blooming in a riot of color. pinterest.com
Geodesic Domes
Geodesic domes are enjoying a resurgence as more people seek out eco-friendly building options . Architect Buckminster Fuller invented the geodesic dome. The American Institute of Architects calls it โthe strongest, lightest and most efficient means of enclosing space known to man.โ No doubt youโve seen geodesic domes before. Some as public structures, some as
Companion Planting For Broccoli
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 to enhance each otherโs growth and quality. Companion planting can help you grow a thriving crop of delicious, healthy broccoli. Companion plants offer shade or shelter,
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 different suites catered to each little bug’s preferred lodging taste. Most hotels are constructed with a strong protective frame of wood boards or pallets and
Off-Grid Heating Options & Alternatives
Last month, we debuted the first post in our series of Homesteading Questions and Answers. As we get questions from you, we try to formulate the best possible answers to help you on your adventure. This month is all about off-grid heating options. Sarah wants to know about “Heat alternatives that don’t require the grid,
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 Vitse of New Look Floral (a garden and floral business) in Rochester, MN. This little gem, made from recycled windows was built in 2003. The structure is 12
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
Growing Peas
Every vegetable that bursts out of the ground is a gift to me. The wispy little feathers of emerging carrots, the blink-and-theyโre-there sprouts of lightning-quick radishes, and the first true leaves of a tomato plant โ heralding the impatient wait for it to grow and produce the fresh tomatoes of summer. Peas, however, are extra-special.
11 Plants To Consider For Fall Planting
As mentioned in an earlier article, this summer, rife with a serious drought and unrelenting heat waves, kicked my gardenโs collective butt. Even though I did my best to distribute the precious cache of off-grid water, it largely did no good. I learned this year (the hard way) that plants simply shut down when temperatures
Homestead Stories: The Festive and Whimsical Candy Cane Flower
Itโs been one of those years. The pandemic of 2020, the uncertainty of life and all we hold dear, and even my garden struggled through the drought of early summer and flooding of early fall. I needed something positive to consider and plan for spring. Thoughts of my spring garden are what get me through
Shed Plans
Sheds are an important asset to any garden, backyard, or homestead. They keep our spaces organized and protect our tools from the elements. Whether you’re needing a traditional, simple shed for your home and garden products or a more decorative shed to bring aesthetics to your garden, there is a design out there that is
How To Sharpen Garden Tools
Ever tried to slice a tomato with a dull knife? In a pinch, Iโve tried. The jagged pink slabs I made might as well have been cut with a hammer and chisel. Broadly speaking, the same logic applies to garden tools, especially those designed to cut, slice, chop, or dig. The reason to keep a
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 whether they are black, red, pink, or white, establish readily in the homestead garden where they will provide an annual abundance of sweet
Introduction To Integrated Pest Management
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 face regardless of location, climate, or economic resources. It’s pests – whether it’s weeds, ants, beetles, caterpillars, goats, sheep, cats, or even other humans (the last
Online Homesteading Courses
Webinars and other online courses are great tools for homesteaders. Homesteaders who live in remote, rural areas will find online courses particularly useful. Online courses can fill community knowledge gaps that homesteaders might only have been able to fill through community college classes, conventions, or meetups. Dozens of courses in areas that will interest the
Growing Swiss Chard
If a garden was a high school movie drama, tomatoes would be the prom queen cheerleader, corn would be the basketball star jock, fennel would be the weird kid who dislocates his fingers and thinks itโs entertaining, and Swiss chard would be the really nice, helpful girl who just isnโt popular. And I think thatโs
Eco-Friendly DIY Drain Cleaners
Why is it a slow or clogged drain always seems to occur at the worst possible moment? You’re busy preparing a dinner party, company is soon to arrive, and now you find the water in the guest bathroom sink doesnโt want to drain. What to do? You want something that will clear your plumbing problems
40 Smart Uses For Dryer Sheets In Your Home And Garden
When you put laundry in a dryer, static builds up on the clothes, sheets, and towels that bounce and tumble in the heat. Throwing in a dryer sheet can reduce static cling and leave your clothes smelling fresh. That said, dryer sheets have gained a bad reputation because they contain quaternary ammonium compounds that can