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…