In my first urban homestead in Portland, there was a large cedar tree in the front yard. As I looked out my living room window, the first thing I always saw was hard packed, barren dirt under this tree. I tried to plant groundcovers, shade tolerant veggies, ANYTHING! But nothing would grow. Finally, I stumbled […]
All Those Fall Leaves & What to Do With Them
With four ash trees, two birch trees and five mature maple trees on our 1/2 acre property, well let’s just say we have a lot of leaves to deal with right now. Since self sufficiency and frugal budget management are very important to us, we make use of everything we have around the homestead. If […]
Lasagna Gardening: A No-Till Method
Does the idea of tilling your soil sound laborious and downright undesirable? Then you should check out lasagna gardening! This no-till method might be the solution to all of your tilling woes.
No Dig Gardening
No dig gardening is a great way to cut down on weeds, watering, and enrich your soil and it even takes less effort than conventional double digging or tilling. Laying down a thick mulch suppresses weeds and holds in moisture, and the materials break down in place, feeding the plants for you. You can start […]
Building Soil Is The Big Secret To Great Gardens
When I first started gardening I figured I was a total fail at it. Everything I planted DIED. Even blackberry plants! Turns out there was a lot I didn’t know about gardening. There’s a little more to it than just sticking plants into the ground and blasting the hose at them occasionally. (Yeah, just a […]
Getting Started with No-Dig Gardening
Starting an organic garden doesn’t need a lot of work. Work with what you have now and start a no dig garden. Here’s a quick guide how.
