Category Archives: Gardening

Mapping Out Your Vegetable Garden

Mapping out your vegetable garden so you have a plan on paper once planting time arrives is a key component to a successful growing season. So is detailed note taking. I have a sketch of every garden I’ve ever planted, … Continue reading

Posted in Gardening | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Planning Your Vegetable Garden – Part 1

With 40 years of off-grid homesteading under our belts, we can sincerely say that one of the keys to self-reliance is a successful vegetable garden. A well thought out, well planned garden can save time, effort and aggravation come spring … Continue reading

Posted in Gardening | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Mulches and Mulching

We’ve used mulches on our gardens from day one. Mulching is a key component to a happy garden in our opinion. There are a number of benefits to mulching. Let’s delve deeper into mulches and mulching. Benefits of Mulching It … Continue reading

Posted in Gardening | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

Dry Beans – A Homesteader’s Staple

Dry beans, a homesteader’s staple should be in everyone’s larder whether they are a homesteader, prepper, city dweller or rural resident. As long as they are properly stored in a cool, dry location, they keep indefinitely without the need for … Continue reading

Posted in Gardening | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Almost Killed Our Orchard and Half of Our Potatoes

Living on the ocean is wonderful but fog and dampness are typical throughout the growing season. It’s not unusual to hear water dripping off the roof eave over night from high moisture in the air. And along with that dampness … Continue reading

Posted in Gardening | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Establishing an Orchard

Establishing an orchard is a big investment not only in money but in time and effort as well. At our new Nova Scotia homestead, getting an orchard underway was a priority last spring and continued this spring. Selecting what varieties … Continue reading

Posted in Gardening | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Vertical Grow Tower

It’s good to be back after a long hiatus. The new book manuscript and pictures are in the publisher’s hands and we can now focus on our normal routine. As you know, we’ve been gardening for a long time. Not … Continue reading

Posted in Gardening | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

The Real Dirt on Garden Soil

Gardens with the vegetables and fruits they provide are an integral part of our self-sufficiency plan. We derive a great deal of satisfaction in providing the majority of our fruits and vegetables. In order to get the best results, we … Continue reading

Posted in Gardening | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

Order Now For Spring Planting

Building a new homestead from scratch means establishing new gardens. Not just a vegetable garden but an herb garden as well as an orchard. Now is the time of the year to get seed and nursery stock on order whether … Continue reading

Posted in Gardening | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Hacking Our Way to Garden Prosperity

  In our 37 year off–grid homesteading adventure, we’ve had the tough chore of taking woodland and converting it to gardens. We’ve never had the luxury of driving into a new homestead that had cleared land with an established garden. … Continue reading

Posted in Gardening | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments