My family has been enjoying the same hike through the Columbia River Gorge, a national scenic area, for decades now. My parents began hiking this easy trail in the early 70’s and continued to use it as the family grew. Years are marked in family photos with each child taking our turn riding in the baby backpack carrier and up through our restless teenage years.
Archives for 2012
What Is a Weed?
“Is this a weed?” I get asked that question a lot from gardeners and my answer is always the same: A weed is simply a plant in the wrong place. So before you get out for this long holiday weekend and start pulling everything in sight, here a few weeds you might want to reconsider throwing in the compost bin. Comfrey is a noxious weed
Favorite Tomato Varieties
There are three general categories of tomatoes: sauce, slicer and cherry. Sauce tomatoes have thicker, meater fruit with less water which makes them ideal for marinara. Slicers are the big beef steak types that you want on sandwiches. And cherries are the little, sweet gems that are great for popping in your mouth while you water the garden. There are hundreds, probably thousands, of tomato
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
Propagating Grapevines
Springtime means pruning and our grapevines were more than overdue for their annual haircut. We love the Glenora and Himrod grapes growing on old bed frames on either ends of our raised beds. But each year they grow so long that they get tangled into the nearby trees and shrubs. Pruning them back keeps their growth under control and also gives me the chance to
Planting Potatoes: The Double Dig Method
St Patrick’s Day is usually my cue that potatoes need to be planted. You can still get your spuds in and have a decent harvest, but it needs to happen soon! Potatoes can be easily grown in something as simple as a bucket full of soil with drainage holes in the bottom. Although they are adaptable to lots of growing methods, the double-dig method has
Egg Recipe: Garden Fritatta
Four ducks plus three chickens equals a huge amount of eggs on the homestead. Surprisingly, we are keeping up with the supply pretty well. The secret? Garden frittatas. Frittatas are the perfect egg dish. They use at least a half dozen eggs at a time, are quick to make, you can put anything in them and they are great at any meal. Alice Waters gives
Anniversary Winner
Thank you all for your great comments on the post last week about the fifth anniversary of Hip Chick Digs! It was SO fun to read all of your comments about your homesteading journey and get to know you all better – especially you quiet ones who have been with me for several years! Thanks to a random number picker, Kat is the winner of
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
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- …
- 10
- Next Page »