Although I have been gardening for most of my life in some way shape or form, I have always faced some sort of criticism for it.  You can buy it from  the store cheaper being the most common statement.  But…

Every  year I plan out the garden, start the seeds and try to get the garden in the ground before the middle of June.  Some years go better than others.  But unlike is often recommended for newer type gardeners, I…

Like most people, I like eating fruit and berries, but for a variety reasons I don't like to buy them in the store.  In late summer, I will typically buy off the fruit truck that shows up in my  community…

When people find out that you grow your own food their typical response is that it is a “nice hobby” and/or that “you can buy it cheaper in the store” and/or that “it takes up so much time”.  Although I…

I recall a couple years ago in the early fall going out to the municipal compost pile with my Dad to drop some dried leaves, grass and spruce cones off.  While there I started looking around, as one does when…

Developing an orchard or even planting a couple trees takes time as we wait for them to produce.  But if one is developing a food forest, the planning, implementing and then waiting for the ecosystem to develop can seem like…

As I sit to write this, we are a couple days into the spring equinox.  And although temperatures have decided to take another dip into the deep freeze for the last days of March, it does not stop the dreaming…

The calendar flips to the new year and my thoughts turn to planting the garden and looking into things to grow for the upcoming season.  And as winter turns to spring, the gardening itch gets a little more serious and…

For years I bought softneck garlic every spring and although I did have limited success, the bulbs that were produced, if any, were less than impressive.  It always seemed that they would not have enough time to grow to maturity…

I have heard it said over the years, that one of the first things that a person should do after buying a property, if they are so inclined, is to plant fruit trees because establishing an apple tree orchard or…

After my initial apple tree orchard met it's demise, I knew that it would be just a matter of time before I did the work involved in planning an orchard to replace it.  But this time, rather than just planting…

When I first moved here 30+ years ago, I knew that I wanted to not only have a garden but that I also wanted to have the ability to grow some of my own fruit.  Raspberries and strawberries were the…

Like most gardeners, I take the time in the late winter and early spring to do garden planning for the upcoming season.  What grew well in the previous years, what I will plant, where I will plant and when I…

Common Purslane (Portulaca Oleracea) is considered a noxious weed to most gardeners and for many years it was for me too.  But after doing some research I quickly realized that it was more than just a purslane weed.

Backstory

I…

As part of my gardening and homesteading life, I like to learn about new methods, research how to improve old methods and sometimes resourcefulness comes into play to develop new ones.  But part of ensuring the success of it all…

Although I do find weeding to be somewhat relaxing, dealing with the quack grass is something that I hate doing.  You can't just pull it out easily and every little piece of the root starts a new plant. And to…

I have always liked to learn new ways to garden and have experimented with a number of them over the years.  I tried a couple of times over the years to use straw as a mulch but always ended up…