A blog about creating a homestead with gardening and home crafts.
See why and how I made a little yarn basket to hold fibre scraps to help the birds build their nests. I once made this decoy wasps nest to help deter wasps from making a nest on my property. It's made from pure wool so recently I was surprised to see a bluetit grabbing a... Continue Reading →
Time to read: 5 minutes Homesteading Life Skills: Embarking on a Journey Towards Self-Sufficiency In modern life, convenience is often valued above all. However, a growing number of individuals are taking a step back and rediscovering the profound satisfaction and personal growth that comes from adopting a homesteading lifestyle, whatever home/life circumstances they find themselves... Continue Reading →
I detail here how I save money when I fill my raised beds, but I also grow things like fruit trees and potatoes in large 50l containers and if you have a few of those, buying in bags of compost or potting mixes can get really expensive. Here are some different ways to fill your containers economically and still keep your plants healthy and get maximum yield.
I found out about a new, UK-based company Wool Pots through Instagram and did some research. As a gardener, and knitter who works almost exclusively with wool, I was immediately drawn to the idea of also using wool in the garden.
Time to read 6 minutes The basic No Dig Gardening Method is a method of gardening I can definitely get behind. Pioneered by British gardener Charles Dowding for 40 years, it is a regenerative gardening method that is efficient, accessible and low maintenance once you get the basic principles right. What is No Dig? The... Continue Reading →
I have been growing lemon, limes and oranges in my greenhouse in the UK (USDA hardiness zone 9a) for a few years now. If you have the right set up, you can have highly productive citrus trees that produce fruit all year round. Here are some of my care tips. Lemon and lime trees Purchase... Continue Reading →
Today I hand wash some of my hand knitted wool accessories: a pair of wool socks, a pair of fingerless mittens and a merino cowl. I only tend to hand wash accessories and newly knitted wool sweaters as they tend to get really heavy and cumbersome to hand wash so I usually put them on... Continue Reading →
When I lived in Spain, my husband and I attended a Spanish cooking class. The chef told us something that really piqued my interest in saffron. He said that saffron is the most valuable- and expensive spice in the world. I went home and investigated and found it to be true. What is saffron and... Continue Reading →
Wasabi is a member of the Brassicaceae family and it is very similar to horseradish. It grows from a rhizome in the earth similar to ginger or turmeric and is commonly eaten and grown in the wetlands of Japan.
Time to read 9 minutes Gardening brings so much value and joy so it would be a mistake to believe you need a large garden and full sun to be able to do so effectively. I currently live in USDA Zone 9a and while I don't have a lot of vegetable growing space, my garden... Continue Reading →
All Homesteading 