Four years ago we built a patio and pergola in our backyard to act as the central gathering space in the garden. It’s time for an update on those projects and to share some lessons learned. What comes to mind first is finishing the patio in 97 degree heat. Wish I could go back in time to say “Damn girl, take it easy! Finish it
It Takes a Village
We feel honored that our homestead is going to be featured in Country Gardens magazine! They are doing a story on our homesteading journey for an upcoming issue and had a lovely photo shoot in the garden with us yesterday. It was challenging to get the garden “picture perfect” while juggling baby Juniper, so it was time to call in help from some friends. Prior
Backyard for Entertaining
We all dream of having the garden where you can do it all: relax and retreat, entertain friends, grow some veggies, and the list goes on. But it’s a real challenge to do it all in one small urban lot. The garden I am sharing with you is a great example of how a well-planned space can accomplish your long must-have list. It sure doesn’t
Graduation
Four years ago I was spending 40+ hours a week at “work” and 40+ hours a week getting my hands dirty somewhere – digging in our garden, helping friends with garden designs, volunteering for the farmers market, etc. It was clear that I needed to make a choice between those two lives. I chose the one with dirt under my nails. I turned in my
Fo-Po Garden Tour
This past weekend I had the pleasure of touring several gardens during the annual Foster-Powell Garden Tour. It was a relaxing way to spend a sunny Saturday and find some garden inspiration. Here is a sampling of the gems I observed. There were surprises up in the trees in many gardens. These lanterns would make a garden feel so magical if little tea lights were
Product Review: Naturalyards Raised Beds
Recently I was approached by a local company, Naturalyards, about doing a product review. After careful consideration, I agreed to it because they met my criteria: 1) they are a great company, 2) they make a quality product 3) it’s a product we need for our homestead and 4) it’s a product you might actually be interested in. In exchange for receiving their product, I
Herb Spiral Update
It was years and years ago that I built an herb spiral in our backyard, but a reader recently asked me for an update on the project. But first, what the heck is an herb spiral? Our original herb spiral design An herb spiral is a popular permaculture project that incorporates micro-climates into the design. You begin by creating a mound of soil and then
Inviting Birds into the Garden
The sounds of birds and the buzzing of insects in springtime is a reminder for me that our homestead supports more than just our own sustenance. Here are some tips on making sure your garden offers an open invitation for birds. Give Them Water. Birds need a place to stop for a drink or a bath. We were gifted a heavy, old, concrete bird bath
Our Homestead Plan
We moved into our homestead back in 2006 when it was just a blank canvas of lawn, with a couple old rose bushes here and there. After six years of major landscape changes, it’s about time I got around to making a decent planting plan of the homestead. I used AutoCAD to create the above plan showing what we currently have growing on our 1/10
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