The family food garden is the most important tool a homestead can have. Gardeners are rewarded with fresh produce that can be harvested all summer long. At the end of the growing season, the garden harvest can be transformed into pantry staples to get your family through the winter. Many varieties of fruits and vegetables can be stored in a root cellar for months. Almost anything can be pressure or water bath canned for long term storage.
Garden design, specifically for vegetables and medicinal herbs, is a main focus of this site. The methods I incorporate into my garden include:
This page contains posts with “how to grow” guides for different varieties of herbs and vegetables. It’s nice to learn from someone else’s mistakes when it comes to gardening, and I have made many. After years of growing my own food, I hope my experience and knowledge can help beginner gardeners.
Are you ready to start a garden, but just don't know how? This guide will give you all the tools to feel confident planning, planting, harvesting and preserving your garden. Learn how to grow your own food and save money at the same time!
Food preservation is a homesteaders most valuable skill. After all that work planning, planting, tending and harvesting your garden, the last thing you want is for your bounty to go to waste. Learn more about how to preserve your garden harvest and make food last for months or even years!
Ever wonder how expert gardeners know how to layout their vegetable gardens? Here's your guide to companion planting, succession planting, taxonomy, and growing requirements for all your crops with quick references and helpful infographics. Get ready for the biggest harvests you've ever had!
Click for an up close look at this potager design layout for a raised bed vegetable garden. The detailed diagrams have great examples of companion planting and intercropping.
I have so many people asking what supplies they truly NEED to get started with a new garden. I thought this list would help all the beginner gardeners out there.
Permaculture principles can decrease your work load, make your garden more productive, make your animals healthier, and generally improve all the systems on your farm or homestead.
Looking for ideas on how to get started homesteading? Here are a few simple first steps to get you moving toward a more self-reliant lifestyle.
Learn the entire process of growing your own herbs! From how to start seeds indoors to turning them into amazing dried spices - and everything in between!
With a tiny bottle of spices costing anywhere from $3 to $10 a pop, there’s a huge incentive to save yourself hundreds of dollars a year and grow your own herbs! Here’s a great list of herbs to grow in your own backyard garden or windowsill.
This is the story of how I went from a normal, everyday housewife to a crazy, obsessive self-sufficiency advocate and homesteading junkie. (And this was just year one!)