In 2011, Renee Wilkinson released her first book Modern Homestead: Grow, Raise, Create. Since then she has traveled across North America for book readings, homesteading workshops and lectures. Today you can still find this wonderful guide to homesteading at national retailers, independent bookstores and at your local library.

Description: Sixth-generation gardener Renee Wilkinson embraces the old school while adding a bit of funk in this savvy-smart guide to homesteading. From a windowsill to a sprawling backyard, these are all places we can grow vegetables, make homes for animals, and fill our cupboards with canned decadence, all the while flashing our personal style and taste.

Available from these fine retailers:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Bookshop.org
Powell’s

What’s next: I’m working on my next book. Join my email list below, or follow along on Instagram at @hipchickdigs for updates.

Reviews:

“Filled with beautiful photos and illustrations, Wilkinson tells pretty much everything anyone needs to know to get started in sustainable living, especially in urban and suburban areas. It’s a compact resource that should be kept handy, with a valuable index for looking things up.” Jim Ewing, Clarionledger.com

“This is a comprehensive starter-kit for creating a homesteading lifestyle in a simple and inspiring way From growing your own food in the smallest urban space, to a larger urban backyard plan, Modern Homestead will give you the information, instruction, and inspiration you need to get going- or to expand. Enjoy!” Spirituality and Health.com

Awards:

Award Winner, Green Book Festival – Gardening Category

Who is this chick??

Renee Wilkinson is a sixth generation Oregon homesteader with a fascination for watching things grow and getting her hands dirty. Her homestead is a tenth of an acre plot in Portland, Oregon, where she lives in blissful chaos with her husband, children (Juniper, River, and Fox), honeybee hives, and a flock of backyard chickens.
Renee launched Hip Chick Digs in 2007 to share information about homesteading, edible landscape design, and sustainable living.

She is an award-winning author of the book Modern Homestead: Grow, Raise, Create covering everything you ever wanted to know about growing your own produce, keeping urban livestock and preserving the harvest. Her book readings, workshops and lectures have taken her across the country.

She received her Master of Landscape Architecture degree around the time her book published, and has worked as a landscape designer ever since. Her work portfolio includes state, regional and city parks, multi-use trails, nature playgrounds and residential gardens. Visit Renee Wilkinson Landscapes to learn more about her design practice and see work samples.

Connect

Renee doesn’t have much time currently for regular blog posts, but she is very active on Instagram – the shorter format is just more conducive to life these days. DIY’ers can find tons of design ideas, projects and more on her Pinterest pages. She has a Facebook page that occasionally includes pictures of the homestead, interesting articles and other tidbits. You can email her at Renee(at)HipChickDigs(dot)com with questions, comments or to just say hello. Happy growing!

Turning the garden over for the cool season. Th The bamboo tomato trellises come down, and I carefully pull the summer crops (tomatoes, basil, calendula) while leaving the kale, broccoli and romanesco I tucked in between them to carry on through winter. Garlic and shallots are in, and the three-bin compost is piled high with everything that's left. Now the rains can come. I'll be inside with a cup of tea, baking, preserving, and dreaming about next year's garden. What's your favorite part of putting the garden to bed? . . . #fallgarden #pnwgarden #portlandgarden #urbanhomestead #wintergarden" aria-hidden="true">

When the garlic goes in, my veggie garden year sta Planting garlic in October is my reset. I tuck the cloves in between my winter crops, then start dreaming about how everything else for next year will work around them. My trick: I space them about 12 inches apart instead of the usual 6. It looks a little sparse now, but it leaves room to slip spring greens and early summer crops in between while the garlic does its thing. By July, I pull the garlic and those beds roll right into summer. Break up the bulb, keep the biggest cloves, plant them pointy end up about 2 inches deep, and forget about them until July. Have you planted yours yet? . . . #garlic #plantnoweatlater #pnwgarden #portlandgarden #urbanhomestead" aria-hidden="true">

I design my whole garden as if it's one big bouque I learned this from British gardener @sarahravenperchhill (who got her start as a floral designer). Every arrangement needs: A bride: the star of the show. Here, Cafe au Lait dahlias, because they're the best dahlia. Bridesmaids: the pretty supporting cast. These soft pink dahlias. A gate crasher: something a little unexpected that makes the whole thing exciting. This jewel-toned hollyhock. When I'm choosing bulbs, perennials and seeds for next year, I picture them in a vase together. They don't have to match, but they should make exciting combinations. If they look good together in a bouquet, they'll look stunning in the garden. Now's the time to plan and order for next year. Who's your bride? . . . #cutflowergarden #dahlias #pnwgarden #portlandgarden #gardendesign" aria-hidden="true">

If I could only grow one apple, it'd be this one. Enterprise apples get big, ripen in early October here in Portland, and hold up to just about anything: crisp fresh eating, pies, crisps and applesauce. They keep for months in cold storage, too. I bought our tree from @onegreenworld years ago, and it's earned it's keep in our little food forest. If you're in the PNW, they're my go-to for fruit trees that thrive here (they ship nationwide too). What's the one fruit tree you'd plant if you only had room for one? . . . #pnwgarden #portlandgarden #urbanhomestead #fruittrees #worththespace" aria-hidden="true">

The last tomatoes are a happy problem to solve W Whatever's left on the vines becomes something. Once the October rain sets in, I pull everything, green ones included. Most ripen on the counter in a single layer, out of direct sun, and we eat them slowly over the next few weeks. A banana nearby speeds them up. This year I'm turning the hardest green ones into salsa verde, swapping them in for tomatillos. To get started: broil about a pound of green tomatoes with half an onion, a couple of garlic cloves and a jalapeño until charred, about 8 to 10 minutes, flipping once. Blend with a handful of cilantro, a squeeze of lime and salt. Taste and adjust. It comes out bright, tangy and a little smoky. The ripe ones go into my slow-roasted tomato sauce. Recipe's a few posts down How long do yours usually last after the pull? #pnwgarden #portlandgarden #urbanhomestead #fallgarden #tomatoes" aria-hidden="true">

Hi, I'm Renee If you're new here, welcome. We l If you're new here, welcome. We live on a regular city lot in Portland, Oregon, with raised beds, a food forest, two beehives, a small flock of chickens and more dahlias than anyone needs. I'm a landscape architect and the author of Modern Homestead, and for us homesteading isn't a weekend project. It's woven into how we eat, gather and live, in every season. Here you'll find what's growing, what's cooking, and what I'm learning along the way. Tell me where you're growing from. I'd love to know who's here. #urbanhomestead #portlandgarden #pnwgarden #modernhomestead #homesteading" aria-hidden="true">

October on the homestead is about putting things t

A handful of Cortlands from our tree became this b I followed @yossyarefi 's Rose Apple Tart from @nytcooking : blind-bake the tart shell, slice the apples paper-thin with a mandolin, then splay them out like a hand of cards. Starting at the edge, I wrapped the apples around the tart and worked my way inward until the whole thing was covered in roses. Once it was baked, I brushed the apples with fig jam for that glossy finish. No saving this recipe for the holidays. The celebration of the apple harvest is reason enough to make something this special. (And it's not terribly hard, either!) Garden → harvest → kitchen " aria-hidden="true">

Nine years ago I got the best birthday present I reached into the warm water around 1am, held onto my own baby as he was birthed from my body, and brought him up onto my chest - finally meeting this glorious piece of stardust. What a perfect birth I was gifted. What a perfect last piece of our family we received. What a big-hearted, extremely tender, clever child I have. Happy birthday Fox! Grateful my Mom got to hold him that morning. Grateful for my midwives and husband who helped him into this world. We laid in bed together for days. Slowly taking walks. Around three weeks he took his first car ride. It was a gentle entry into this world, and it's been the ride of my life being his mama." aria-hidden="true">

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Take a Look Around

Current Homestead

Original Homestead

Landscape Design

About Us

Welcome!

Hello homesteader! I’m Renee Wilkinson and this is where I’ve chronicled my adventures in homesteading since 2007. Here you will find 700+ posts on modern homestead projects, edible landscape design and the occasional life update.

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Start Here: Reader Favorites

How to Kill a Chicken

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Crushed Rock Pathways

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Seed Starting Calendar

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Making Plum Chutney

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Preserving Chanterelle Mushrooms

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A Very Special Persimmon

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Roasting Chanterelle Mushrooms

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Backyard Rain Garden

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Portland Veggie Calendar

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“Eating is an agricultural act”

~Wendell Berry

Latest Blog Posts

Cookbook Club Podcast Is Back (and You’re In It)

Modern homesteaders tend to be serious home cooks, and I’m no exception. A few years ago I…

Read More

Portland Veggie Calendar

I recently finished putting together a vegetable planting calendar resource that I’m excited…

Read More

Cookbook Club Podcast

Modern homesteaders are often avid home-cooks, and I am no exception. In case you are too, I wanted…

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Turning the garden over for the cool season. Th The bamboo tomato trellises come down, and I carefully pull the summer crops (tomatoes, basil, calendula) while leaving the kale, broccoli and romanesco I tucked in between them to carry on through winter. Garlic and shallots are in, and the three-bin compost is piled high with everything that's left. Now the rains can come. I'll be inside with a cup of tea, baking, preserving, and dreaming about next year's garden. What's your favorite part of putting the garden to bed? . . . #fallgarden #pnwgarden #portlandgarden #urbanhomestead #wintergarden" aria-hidden="true">

When the garlic goes in, my veggie garden year sta Planting garlic in October is my reset. I tuck the cloves in between my winter crops, then start dreaming about how everything else for next year will work around them. My trick: I space them about 12 inches apart instead of the usual 6. It looks a little sparse now, but it leaves room to slip spring greens and early summer crops in between while the garlic does its thing. By July, I pull the garlic and those beds roll right into summer. Break up the bulb, keep the biggest cloves, plant them pointy end up about 2 inches deep, and forget about them until July. Have you planted yours yet? . . . #garlic #plantnoweatlater #pnwgarden #portlandgarden #urbanhomestead" aria-hidden="true">

I design my whole garden as if it's one big bouque I learned this from British gardener @sarahravenperchhill (who got her start as a floral designer). Every arrangement needs: A bride: the star of the show. Here, Cafe au Lait dahlias, because they're the best dahlia. Bridesmaids: the pretty supporting cast. These soft pink dahlias. A gate crasher: something a little unexpected that makes the whole thing exciting. This jewel-toned hollyhock. When I'm choosing bulbs, perennials and seeds for next year, I picture them in a vase together. They don't have to match, but they should make exciting combinations. If they look good together in a bouquet, they'll look stunning in the garden. Now's the time to plan and order for next year. Who's your bride? . . . #cutflowergarden #dahlias #pnwgarden #portlandgarden #gardendesign" aria-hidden="true">

If I could only grow one apple, it'd be this one. Enterprise apples get big, ripen in early October here in Portland, and hold up to just about anything: crisp fresh eating, pies, crisps and applesauce. They keep for months in cold storage, too. I bought our tree from @onegreenworld years ago, and it's earned it's keep in our little food forest. If you're in the PNW, they're my go-to for fruit trees that thrive here (they ship nationwide too). What's the one fruit tree you'd plant if you only had room for one? . . . #pnwgarden #portlandgarden #urbanhomestead #fruittrees #worththespace" aria-hidden="true">

The last tomatoes are a happy problem to solve W Whatever's left on the vines becomes something. Once the October rain sets in, I pull everything, green ones included. Most ripen on the counter in a single layer, out of direct sun, and we eat them slowly over the next few weeks. A banana nearby speeds them up. This year I'm turning the hardest green ones into salsa verde, swapping them in for tomatillos. To get started: broil about a pound of green tomatoes with half an onion, a couple of garlic cloves and a jalapeño until charred, about 8 to 10 minutes, flipping once. Blend with a handful of cilantro, a squeeze of lime and salt. Taste and adjust. It comes out bright, tangy and a little smoky. The ripe ones go into my slow-roasted tomato sauce. Recipe's a few posts down How long do yours usually last after the pull? #pnwgarden #portlandgarden #urbanhomestead #fallgarden #tomatoes" aria-hidden="true">

Hi, I'm Renee If you're new here, welcome. We l If you're new here, welcome. We live on a regular city lot in Portland, Oregon, with raised beds, a food forest, two beehives, a small flock of chickens and more dahlias than anyone needs. I'm a landscape architect and the author of Modern Homestead, and for us homesteading isn't a weekend project. It's woven into how we eat, gather and live, in every season. Here you'll find what's growing, what's cooking, and what I'm learning along the way. Tell me where you're growing from. I'd love to know who's here. #urbanhomestead #portlandgarden #pnwgarden #modernhomestead #homesteading" aria-hidden="true">

October on the homestead is about putting things t

A handful of Cortlands from our tree became this b I followed @yossyarefi 's Rose Apple Tart from @nytcooking : blind-bake the tart shell, slice the apples paper-thin with a mandolin, then splay them out like a hand of cards. Starting at the edge, I wrapped the apples around the tart and worked my way inward until the whole thing was covered in roses. Once it was baked, I brushed the apples with fig jam for that glossy finish. No saving this recipe for the holidays. The celebration of the apple harvest is reason enough to make something this special. (And it's not terribly hard, either!) Garden → harvest → kitchen " aria-hidden="true">

Nine years ago I got the best birthday present I reached into the warm water around 1am, held onto my own baby as he was birthed from my body, and brought him up onto my chest - finally meeting this glorious piece of stardust. What a perfect birth I was gifted. What a perfect last piece of our family we received. What a big-hearted, extremely tender, clever child I have. Happy birthday Fox! Grateful my Mom got to hold him that morning. Grateful for my midwives and husband who helped him into this world. We laid in bed together for days. Slowly taking walks. Around three weeks he took his first car ride. It was a gentle entry into this world, and it's been the ride of my life being his mama." aria-hidden="true">

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Here are all of my posts! You should be able to click on any given month and see an expandable list of previous posts. It’s overwhelming! And this goes back nearly 20 years… I have high hopes of going through to fix all the broken links and missing images, but I’m not sure there’s enough downtime in the world for me to prioritize that.

• 2026 (2)
• 2021 (2)
• 2020 (1)
• 2019 (3)
• 2017 (2)
• 2016 (18)
• 2015 (49)
• 2014 (49)
• 2013 (54)
• 2012 (84)
• 2011 (89)
• 2010 (75)
• 2009 (91)
• 2008 (134)
• 2007 (66)

Our very first homestead was a 700 square foot house in the Brentwood-Darlington neighborhood of southeast Portland, Oregon. The 1927 house was painted the dullest light-grey you can imagine and surrounded by patchy lawn. What I saw the first time I set eyes on this meager plot of land was loads of potential for a budding homestead.

Over the course of eight years we transformed this beat-up house into a much-loved home. It started with sheet mulching the entire front and back yards, building our first chicken coop and planting the first round of edible trees and shrubs. Every year I would cut and divided my favorite perennials, add new plant species and train the fruiting vines.

We painted the house red and added some colorful accent trim to draw out the historic character of the home. We replaced aging infrastructure systems with energy-efficient upgrades to make this home environmentally sustainable from the inside out.

We added a pergola to the center of the garden, which became the “heart” of our homestead. Many late summer evenings were spent out there with loved ones watching the sunset over our thriving food forest. Our beloved garden even graced the pages of Country Gardens magazine in their Spring 2013 issue, just a few months after we had welcomed our first child, Juniper.

Not long after, it felt time to pass the torch of our starter homestead onto another eager young couple. Gardens are living things that continually change over time. It will never be the same when we finally said goodbye, but the memories we made there will last forever.

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Want to see more photos of our homesteading life? Check out how we’ve created our current homestead, which we have been cultivating for over a decade: Current Homestead

In 2014, we bid a fond farewell to our original homestead and moved into the Sellwood neighborhood of SE Portland for another fixer-upper homestead project. Our new digs had different colored carpet in every room, wallpaper for every decade since the home’s construction in the early mid-century, and a minimal landscape consisting of just lawn.

We began cutting sod and sheet mulching to rehab the nutrient-sapped, heavy clay soil. The first trees and large edible shrubs were planted well before our moving boxes were unpacked. My many years of homesteading and experience in landscape architecture helped the homestead take shape quickly. The major elements include larger raised beds, pergola/patio space, in-ground irrigation, crushed rock pathways, and a dilapidated outbuilding rebuilt into a combination chicken coop/garden shed.

After just a few years, everything has grown in much faster than any of my previous urban homesteads. The overall garden design seems more cohesive, thoughtful, and flexible to adapt to the changing needs of our growing family.

My kids still spend time hunting for berries and collecting eggs daily from the chickens. Our backyard is an urban oasis for friends and family to gather during our warm weather gatherings. And in the dormant months, it’s my favorite place in the world for quiet contemplation with a hot cup of coffee.

The collection of photos here is from the first five years. Scroll further down to see a snapshot of my IG feed, wwhere you can find the most recent updates.

Turning the garden over for the cool season. Th The bamboo tomato trellises come down, and I carefully pull the summer crops (tomatoes, basil, calendula) while leaving the kale, broccoli and romanesco I tucked in between them to carry on through winter. Garlic and shallots are in, and the three-bin compost is piled high with everything that's left. Now the rains can come. I'll be inside with a cup of tea, baking, preserving, and dreaming about next year's garden. What's your favorite part of putting the garden to bed? . . . #fallgarden #pnwgarden #portlandgarden #urbanhomestead #wintergarden" aria-hidden="true">

When the garlic goes in, my veggie garden year sta Planting garlic in October is my reset. I tuck the cloves in between my winter crops, then start dreaming about how everything else for next year will work around them. My trick: I space them about 12 inches apart instead of the usual 6. It looks a little sparse now, but it leaves room to slip spring greens and early summer crops in between while the garlic does its thing. By July, I pull the garlic and those beds roll right into summer. Break up the bulb, keep the biggest cloves, plant them pointy end up about 2 inches deep, and forget about them until July. Have you planted yours yet? . . . #garlic #plantnoweatlater #pnwgarden #portlandgarden #urbanhomestead" aria-hidden="true">

I design my whole garden as if it's one big bouque I learned this from British gardener @sarahravenperchhill (who got her start as a floral designer). Every arrangement needs: A bride: the star of the show. Here, Cafe au Lait dahlias, because they're the best dahlia. Bridesmaids: the pretty supporting cast. These soft pink dahlias. A gate crasher: something a little unexpected that makes the whole thing exciting. This jewel-toned hollyhock. When I'm choosing bulbs, perennials and seeds for next year, I picture them in a vase together. They don't have to match, but they should make exciting combinations. If they look good together in a bouquet, they'll look stunning in the garden. Now's the time to plan and order for next year. Who's your bride? . . . #cutflowergarden #dahlias #pnwgarden #portlandgarden #gardendesign" aria-hidden="true">

If I could only grow one apple, it'd be this one. Enterprise apples get big, ripen in early October here in Portland, and hold up to just about anything: crisp fresh eating, pies, crisps and applesauce. They keep for months in cold storage, too. I bought our tree from @onegreenworld years ago, and it's earned it's keep in our little food forest. If you're in the PNW, they're my go-to for fruit trees that thrive here (they ship nationwide too). What's the one fruit tree you'd plant if you only had room for one? . . . #pnwgarden #portlandgarden #urbanhomestead #fruittrees #worththespace" aria-hidden="true">

The last tomatoes are a happy problem to solve W Whatever's left on the vines becomes something. Once the October rain sets in, I pull everything, green ones included. Most ripen on the counter in a single layer, out of direct sun, and we eat them slowly over the next few weeks. A banana nearby speeds them up. This year I'm turning the hardest green ones into salsa verde, swapping them in for tomatillos. To get started: broil about a pound of green tomatoes with half an onion, a couple of garlic cloves and a jalapeño until charred, about 8 to 10 minutes, flipping once. Blend with a handful of cilantro, a squeeze of lime and salt. Taste and adjust. It comes out bright, tangy and a little smoky. The ripe ones go into my slow-roasted tomato sauce. Recipe's a few posts down How long do yours usually last after the pull? #pnwgarden #portlandgarden #urbanhomestead #fallgarden #tomatoes" aria-hidden="true">

Hi, I'm Renee If you're new here, welcome. We l If you're new here, welcome. We live on a regular city lot in Portland, Oregon, with raised beds, a food forest, two beehives, a small flock of chickens and more dahlias than anyone needs. I'm a landscape architect and the author of Modern Homestead, and for us homesteading isn't a weekend project. It's woven into how we eat, gather and live, in every season. Here you'll find what's growing, what's cooking, and what I'm learning along the way. Tell me where you're growing from. I'd love to know who's here. #urbanhomestead #portlandgarden #pnwgarden #modernhomestead #homesteading" aria-hidden="true">

October on the homestead is about putting things t

A handful of Cortlands from our tree became this b I followed @yossyarefi 's Rose Apple Tart from @nytcooking : blind-bake the tart shell, slice the apples paper-thin with a mandolin, then splay them out like a hand of cards. Starting at the edge, I wrapped the apples around the tart and worked my way inward until the whole thing was covered in roses. Once it was baked, I brushed the apples with fig jam for that glossy finish. No saving this recipe for the holidays. The celebration of the apple harvest is reason enough to make something this special. (And it's not terribly hard, either!) Garden → harvest → kitchen " aria-hidden="true">

Nine years ago I got the best birthday present I reached into the warm water around 1am, held onto my own baby as he was birthed from my body, and brought him up onto my chest - finally meeting this glorious piece of stardust. What a perfect birth I was gifted. What a perfect last piece of our family we received. What a big-hearted, extremely tender, clever child I have. Happy birthday Fox! Grateful my Mom got to hold him that morning. Grateful for my midwives and husband who helped him into this world. We laid in bed together for days. Slowly taking walks. Around three weeks he took his first car ride. It was a gentle entry into this world, and it's been the ride of my life being his mama." aria-hidden="true">

Load More… Follow on Instagram

Click on the images below to take a little virtual tour of our homesteads, where you check out before-and-after photos, garden plans and lots of pretty photos to inspire your own space.

We’ve been cultivating our current homestead for over a decade now. It all began with a boring lawn and rotten shed. You can also view images from our original homestead, where we planted roots for eight lively years.

Renee Wilkinson holds a masters degree in landscape architecture and has designed outdoor spaces for over a decade. Her experience includes edible gardens, permaculture food forests, nature-based playgrounds, multi-family housing (senior living, memory care, affordable housing, etc), public parks and multi-use trails.

Renee has a similar approach to all of her projects: creates outdoor environments that entice people to connect with nature. That can mean growing your own food, supporting native wildlife, or simply having a safe space to seek refuge and recharge. Her design work emphasizes ecologically-sensitive design elements, such as native gardens, low-water plants and local building materials.

Here you will find a small sample of her recent landscape design work. Email Renee(at)HipChickDigs(dot)com to find out more about her design availability.

RESIDENTIAL

MULTI-FAMILY

PLAY SPACES

Explore my favorite resources, tools, and inspiration for intentional living.

New!
→ My Year-Round Planting Calendar (Free)

Visit my website
→ See recent projects, blog posts, and my homestead journey.

Shop my Amazon Favorites
→ Garden tools, kitchen staples, and homestead essentials I use daily.

ShopMy Finds
→ Curated favorites — the tools, books, and products I truly love.

My Book: Modern Homestead
→ Grow, raise, and create with purpose. Available wherever books are sold.

Chickens

More and more clucking can be heard from the backyards, frontyards and even balconies of our urban neighbors. We’ve kept a flock of chickens for several years now and are an excellent addition to the modern homestead. In exchange for a little love and care, our girls reward us with fresh eggs, nitrogen-rich manure, and a natural pest control.

Currently we have six lovely ladies: Pearl (Silver Americana), Golda (Golden Americana), Dotty (Speckled Sussex), Juanita (Black Leghorn), Mary (Cuckoo Maran) and Agatha (Belgian d’Uccle Bantam). We have built so many coops for our various flocks over the years and one of the best ones is included in my book. Here are some of the most popular posts I’ve written about keeping chickens:

• annual deep cleaning on the coop
• chickens in cold weather
• how to kill & butcher a chicken
• molting chickens
• all my posts about chickens

Ducks

We had a small flock of four Indian runner ducks on our homestead for more eggs, more nitrogen-rich manure, and, let’s be honest, more entertainment. These girls were an adorable addition to our homestead and a great fit for the rainy, cool Pacific Northwest weather. Their favorite activity (aside from swimming in their kiddie pool) was hunting around the garden for slugs on a wet day.

Ducks are a little noisier than chickens, but the make up for it with their rich eggs about 25% bigger than chickens. They are messier eaters and their poop is a lot bigger than their chicken cousins. Despite these downsides, they are less destructive in the garden since they can’t scratch up the soil. We eventually relocated the ducks to a nearby farm to simplify our homestead efforts, but still recommend them as a backyard livestock option (just maybe not when you already have chickens and bees and babies). Check out some of my posts about the ducks:

• welcome ducklings
• adolescent ducks
• duck house construction
• new duck coop
• our drake moves out, new girls move in
• all my posts about ducks

Bees

Keeping honeybees takes up very little space, making them a great addition to urban gardens. They increase pollination of your fruit trees (and your neighbors) while providing you with local honey in the summer time. Bees are generally low-maintenance and just need some occasional looking after in the coldest winter months. Here are some posts I have written about keeping honeybees on the modern homestead:

• intro to beekeeping: part i
• intro to beekeeping: part ii
• intro to beekeeping: part iii
• swarming

Wildlife

Even the smallest urban spaces can make a little room to support native wildlife. Get some inspiration for your own modern homestead from some of these past posts:

• Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center
• becoming a national wildlife habitat
• birds in the garden
  

Having a productive homestead doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice beauty! These are various posts I have written over the years about helpful plants, beautiful garden spaces, outdoor projects and our own homestead design. I hope these give you some inspiring ideas to use in your own home and garden.

Outside on our homestead:

Front Yard Update
Phase III: Pathways + Drip Irrigation
Phase II: Irrigation, Sod Removal, Soil Prep + Planting
Phase I: Homestead Garden Design
Front Yard Update (Our Former Homestead)
Homestead Design (Our Former Homestead)

Inside our homestead:

Bedroom Facelift
Living Room Facelift
Rustic Modern Bathroom Remodel
Juniper’s Room
Kitchen Facelift (Former Homestead)
Bedroom Facelift (Former Homestead)
Bathroom Remodel (Former Homestead)

Vegetable garden plans from the last several years:

2015 Vegetable Garden Plan
2014 Vegetable Garden Plan
2013 Vegetable Garden Plan
2011 Vegetable Garden Plan

Various garden projects:

Crushed Rock Pathways
Bean Play Teepee
Cat-Proof Raised Beds
Building Raised Beds
Chicken Coop/Shed Combo
How to Install Drip Irrigiation
Patio & Pergola: Lessons Learned
Pergola
NaturalYards: Raised Bed Kit Review
Paver Driveway
Paver Patio

Useful plants:

Early Flowering plants: Part i
Early Flowering plants: Part ii
Problem Solver: Sunshine Blueberry
Problem Solver: Evergreen Huckleberry
Problem Solver: Salal
Problem Solver: Strawberry Tree
Edible Ground Covers
High Desert Plants
Early Fall-Coloring Trees
Artichokes Planted as a Hedge
Flowering Perennials for Clay Soil
Plants for Winter Interest
Winter Blooming Witchhazel

Other popular garden posts:

My Favorite Tomato Varieties
Planting Tomatoes Outside
How to Plant Tomatoes
Seed Starting Basics
Growing Asparagus
Inviting Birds into the Garden
Planting an Herb Spiral
Planting Fall Garlic
Spraying Fruit Trees
Planting Potatoes: Double Dig Method
Easy Spring Vegetables

Some inspiring gardens I have had the pleasure of visiting:

Joshua Tree
San Diego Botanical Garden
Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center
The Highline
Mount Vernon
Monticello
Washington DC Botanical Garden
New York Botanical Garden
Brooklyn Botanical Garden

COOKING FRESH

• spicy or sweet swiss chard
• creamy chanterelle pasta
• heiße zitrone (hot drink when you’re sick!)
• simple tatsoi
• pork tenderloin with apples
• stuffed pumpkin
• homemade butter
• shrimp étouffée
• meatball & pepper sandwich
• beet & apple salad
• cranberry hazelnut bread
• zucchini parmigiana
• plum bread
• simple fig recipes
• pumpkin soup
• homemade crackers
• roasted zucchini sandwiches
• basic pesto
• maple roasted carrots
• fruit crisp for two

DESSERTS

• Harry Potter themed goodies
• holiday candy
• raspberry window shortbread cookies
• pfeffernüesse
• russian teacakes
• zimtsterne cookies
• fruit crisp for two

EGGS

• garden frittata
• deviled eggs
• egg salad
• swiss chard scrambles
• kale & potato spanish tortilla
• cowboy hash
• insomnia teacake

CANNING

• saucy marinara
• simply canned tomatoes
• rustic applesauce
• strawberry lemon marmalade
• asian pear chutney
• asian pear butter
• pears in syrup

Brewing

• plum  wine
• asian pear hard cider