How to Save Zinnia Seeds
Zinnia seeds are incredible easy to harvest! Here's how to save zinnia seeds so you'll never need to buy them again! Zinnias are gorgeous! I mean what’s not to love? They look amazing in any garden. Pollinators love them! They make an amazing cut flowers for...
How to Grow Mums as Perennials
Did you know that your fall mums are actually perennials? Follow these tips to grow mums as perennials so you can enjoy their blooms year after year! Without a doubt, mums are one of my favorite flowers! I’ve always held a special place in my heart. Growing up,...
Grow It Guide: How to Grow Dry Beans
It's incredibly easy to grow your own dry beans to use in soups, chilis and more! Here's all about how to grow dry beans and harvest them! Beans are among one of my favorite garden crops. And, while I enjoy a crisp garden-fresh green bean, the dry shelling beans...
6 Ways to Protect Garden Plants from Chickens
Chickens can destroy garden plants with their scratching and pecking! Here are 6 easy ways to help protect garden plants from chickens! Chickens + Gardens It seems like a beautiful combination! The chickens can eat the excess veggies, deposit some nitrogen-rich...
How to Compost – A Step by Step Guide!
Learning how to start a home compost can feel overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be! Follow these steps to set up your compost pile and start producing high quality, nutrient-dense compost in no time! Composting is an amazing process where millions of tiny...
Seed Storage + Organization (And My Dollar Store Solution!)
Seed storage and organization can be overwhelming! Here's how to create a system that will actually work to keep your seeds organized, plus a look at how I organize my own seeds! It starts out simple: just a few seed packs that you can easily tuck away into a box of...
Companion Plant Profile: Calendula
Calendula is one of the best all-around garden plant companions! Find out why and how to grow it in your garden! Calendula (Calendula officinalis), also known as “pot marigold”, is probably one of the cheeriest flowers you can add to your veggie garden!...
Fast + Easy Chicken Garden (Using the Chaos Gardening Method!)
Want to cut down on your chicken feed bill? Try growing a chicken garden full of their favorite snacks! Here’s how we planted a super fast and easy chicken garden using the chaos gardening method! For years, the chickens have created chaos in my perfectly...
All About Garlic Scapes + How to Freeze Them!
Garlic scapes are a great bonus harvest for garlic growers! You can harvest them to use fresh or freeze them so that they can be enjoyed all year long! In early spring, one of my favorite harvest seasons begins: the garlic scape harvest! Scapes, along with...
Grow It Guide: How to Grow Rhubarb!
This "Grow It Guide" highlights an amazing and often overlooked perennial plant: Rhubarb! Read on for more info on how to grow rhubarb in your home garden along with ideas for harvesting and using it! About Rhubarb Rhubarb is one of those “heritage” plants if...
How to Make a Tomato Cage Hot House
Some like it hot! Some garden veggies that is! Hot crops like tomatoes, peppers and eggplants need a long warm season to produce and ripen their fruit. A lot of larger tomato varieties need an average of 80+ days to start producing harvest-ready fruit. Sweet...
It’s Not Too Late to Plant a Garden!
Fear not! It's not too late to plant a garden! Here are some tips to ensure you can enjoy a great harvest, even with a late start! In late spring and early summer, one of the main things I get asked from my coaching clients and blog readers is the question: “Is...
How to Mark & Track Seeds + Seedlings
Good records and efficient labeling is key to growing your own seedlings! Here are the best methods and tools to mark and track seeds and seedlings! Learning how to properly and efficiently grow your own garden vegetables and plants from seed is one of the best...
The Best Ways to Water Seeds & Seedlings
Learn how to properly water your seeds and seedlings to grow healthier starts for your garden! We have been talking all about seeds lately! Why? Because growing your own vegetables and plants from seeds is like printing your own money! Seriously! It's a...
How to Sow Seeds in Containers
Sowing seeds is fairly straight-forward, but there are some important things to know for more successful germination. Here’s the full scoop on how to sow seeds in trays or containers! For many years, I would head to the nursery each spring and purchase a cart-full of...
All About Seed Starting Containers
There are so many seed starting containers to choose from! Here's the run-down on picking the best option for your seeds and a quick look at how to properly fill the containers with soil before planting. When it comes to starting seeds, one of the first...
How to Make a DIY Pallet Path
It's easy to create a beautiful and functional garden pathway from pallets! Here's how to create a DIY pallet path, step by step! A few years ago, I set out to transform a bare patch of our property into a beautiful garden area for my perennial plants and medicinal...
Soil Drainage: How & Why to Test It!
Did you know that soil drainage can directly effect how successful your garden is? Luckily, it's easy to learn more about your soil by doing an easy at-home soil drainage test! Are you tired of guessing how much and how often to water your plants? Knowing...
DIY River Rock Garden Bed
Raised beds are a wonderful solution for many types of gardening. Here's how to make your own beautiful river rock garden bed using basic supplies you probably already have on hand! Let's talk about how to create river rock raised garden beds! They...
How to Ripen Tomatoes Faster on the Vine
Are your green tomatoes slow to ripen? Check out these tricks to ripen tomatoes faster as the end of the season approaches! Each summer, grow an abundance of tomatoes. We grow about 16 tomato plants each year that provide our tomato-based products for the...
Natural Gardening Solutions Every New Gardener Should Know
I'm sharing the most important natural gardening solutions that every new gardener should know, including effective solutions to manage pests, maintain weeds and build healthy garden soil! Welcome to the wonderful world of natural gardening! I am so...
Garden Tour: Drought Tolerant Garden in California
*Client Garden Tour* Check out my most recent garden installation: a beautiful drought tolerant garden in Southern California, full of pollinator plants and "farmtiques"! Pssst: I’m gonna let you in on a little secret! I absolutely LOVE helping other people make...
How to Grow Store Bought Potatoes
All about how to grow store bought potatoes! Don't let those sprouted potatoes go to waste - here's how to plant them and grow even more potatoes! We've all done it! We've left those potatoes in the back of the cupboard and forgotten them. By the time that we...
How to Make a Seed Starting Soil Mix
A special seed starting soil mix allows your seeds to grow under the best conditions possible! And, it’s easy and affordable to make your own seed starting soil mix at home - here’s how! Why exactly do you need a special seed starting soil mix? I must...
Prepare your Garden for Winter With These 10 Fall Chores
Do these 10 fall chores to prepare your garden for winter, increase your soil's health, and set your organic garden up for success! The summer garden season has finally come to close! Time to relax and enjoy the bounty of your harvest… almost! But first, we...
The Fall Garden: Everything You Need to Know
How to plant the perfect fall garden + a free planning worksheet! Don't put your seed packets away just because the crisp fall air has arrived! Fall is a great time to garden! Here's everything you need to know about how, when and what to plant to have a beautiful and...
8 Ways We Control Weeds Naturally on the Homestead
Overwhelmed by weeds? They can get out of control quickly, but there are effective, natural ways to control weeds without harming the environment or your soil. Check out some of the ways that we control weeds on our homestead! I’ve been told that Southern Idaho...
How to Make a DIY Garden Cloche + Gardening with Chickens
You can have a gorgeous garden, even with free range chickens! Learn how to make a DIY garden cloche, plus other great ideas to protect your garden plants and keep both your garden and your chickens happy! Creating a garden that both you and your chickens...
The Truth About Growing Your Own Food
Growing your own food is an exciting and wonderful adventure! But there's more to it than just planting a garden. If you want to be successful, you will need to make some lifestyle changes as well! I remember being a new homesteader and wondering what...
Companion Planting Made Easy: 25 Companion Plant Groupings for Your Vegetable Garden
Interested in using companion plants for your vegetable garden but overwhelmed and not sure where to start? I've made it easy by creating 25 companion plant groupings that are ready for you to use in your vegetable garden this year! Last week, I sent out an...
How to Make a DIY Grow Light System for Seed Starting
Here's how we created a DIY grow light system for indoor seed starting using an old entertainment cabinet! A grow light system lets you grow healthy seedlings anywhere - no natural sunlight needed! From brooder to grow light system for indoor seed starting: Two years...
Garden Before & After: How We Transformed our Garden in Less than a Year!
We completely transformed our abandoned and overgrown garden using all-natural, no-till garden practices to create a beautiful and productive garden within a year! I can't believe that we've been at our "new" homestead for almost 2 years now! Part of me is so f-ing...
GMO or Hybrid: What’s the difference?
Home gardeners: Do you know the difference between a GMO and a hybrid? Lately, I've seen a lot of discussion about seeds, especially pertaining to what a GMO is and if it's the same thing as a hybrid. Frankly, I'm glad to see this discussion happening! It's...
My Top Three Picks for High-Quality, Non-GMO Heirloom Seeds
Wondering where to order seeds for your garden? Get the scoop on my three favorite companies for high-quality, non-GMO heirloom seeds! ** I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you from purchases made through links in this article. Full Disclosure Link **...
Four Tips for Planning Your Best Garden Yet + Free Planning Worksheets
Garden planning can be overwhelming! Use this four-step process and free worksheets to establish your garden's purpose & grow the plants you need most! I've been guilty (a time or two!) of racing head-first into the nursery and buying every plant in sight, only to...
Weeds Are Not the Enemy: 10 Benefits of Weeds
It seems like weeds couldn't possibly serve any beneficial purpose, right? Think again! The benefits of weeds are actually quite impressive! I feel like I have become a weed evangelist lately! No, it’s not like that… 😉 “Weeds” as in the...
Six Things You Need to Know Before Planting Your First Garden
When you start gardening, there's a lot to learn! Here are 8 things I wish I had known before I planted my first garden! You’ve decided to start growing your own food — congratulations! Planting a garden is a huge step towards improving your health and...
7 Legit Reasons Every Lazy Gardener Needs Chickens
Chickens can be a huge benefit for the home gardener! Put them to work doing pest control, compost turning, garden bed prep and more! Let's Talk Chickens. And Why You Need Them. If you are like me, there is a high likelihood that you enjoy being lazy sometimes. I...
What You Need to Know about Seed Terms & Varieties
Do you wonder what all those seed terms and varieties listed on seed packets actually mean? We are breaking it down so that you can choose the perfect seeds for your garden! ** Affiliate Disclosure: I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you from...
How to Test Soil Texture for a Better Garden
Test the texture of your garden soil using these easy at-home DIY soil texture test! No fancy supplies are needed, and you'll have your results within a few hours! If you want a beautiful garden that will grow you lots of food, you’ve got to start with good...
Five Gardening Mistakes We Made (and how to avoid them!)
Gardening is a constant process of learning from our mistakes. When we first started gardening, I had a serious black thumb! Learn from my gardening mistakes so that you can avoid them! Four years ago (2012), we planted our first garden. It was a disaster. The plants...