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Adventures of an urban homesteader growing greens, preserving the harvest and tending a backyard barnyard

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June 25, 2008 by: Renee Wilkinson

Fo-Po Garden Tour

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As I’ve mentioned before, I am participating in the first annual Fo-Po Garden Tour this Sunday from 10am-2:00pm. I am technically outside the Foster-Powell neighborhood in Portland, but they are letting me slip in anyways. Everything is suppose to be really informal, but alas I find myself freaking out a bit in preparation!?! There is so much to do: finish the patio, stake the young trees, tie down the grape vines growing on the old bed frame, pile another tire level on the potato stacks…

As I type this, our greyhound Howard just gets more exhausted thinking about it. And honestly, it makes me tired just thinking about it. I fret over all of this knowing there will probably only be a handful of people that make it through our backyard, and I think I might know all of them. The biggest benefit for me has been an excuse to get the garden in shape and also a great opportunity to meet other hip gardeners in the ‘hood.

It feels a lot like having company over though when you know your house is a mess. And they say “Oh, no, don’t worry about it! It will just be fun to see your place!” But really the whole time you are plotting an occasion to ask them back over when your house is cleaner so they get a better impression.

And the earlier picture of Howard was completely a lame excuse to put that picture in here. He just looks so funny when he wakes up from a nap with his tongue still hanging out of one side of his mouth… Ahem.

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Comments

  1. 1

    Jennifer says

    June 26, 2008 at 9:27 am

    I stumbled across your blog (I’m not even sure how) and have been incredibly inspired. I have read Gaia’s Garden and am thinking about how to incorporate permaculture principles into our yard. Would you mind if we stop by your house during the tour? (even though we probably won’t do the rest of the tour).

  2. 2

    Janelle says

    June 26, 2008 at 5:27 pm

    This isn’t tour related but I can’t find your contact info anywhere… I just trimmed a couple of my tomato plants and was wondering if you’d like some of the trimmings? I have successfully in the past put trimmings in water and rooted them, then planted and reaped the benefits (this late in the season, too)! I live in NE by Lloyd Center. My email is j a n e l l e s a t j p s . n e t (minus the spaces).

  3. 3

    Renee says

    June 26, 2008 at 6:04 pm

    Jennifer – of course you are welcome to stop by! Just let me know it’s you and we can talk shop.

    Janelle, I tried emailing you so hopefully I copied the address correctly. I have ten tomatoes out back, so I think we are covered for the summer! We’ll be late, but better late than never.

  4. 4

    Michaela says

    June 26, 2008 at 9:04 pm

    Oh the wonders of an adrenaline rush! You can accompish so much in a time crunch with that rush. I’m sure you’ll complete everything on your to-do list.

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Most days on the homestead aren’t big or dramati Most days on the homestead aren’t big or dramatic—they’re made of small, steady moments.

Refilling the chicken feeder. Collecting eggs still warm from the nest. Pulling up a few carrots. Tossing weeds to the flock. Trimming back the roses before they take over.

It’s not about doing it all—it’s about doing what you can, when you can.
Modern homesteading is less about perfection and more about rhythm. A little work, a little joy, and a lot of dirt under your nails.

Homesteading looks different for everyone—what does it look like (or feel like) for you?

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Swarm catching 🐝 This cluster was about the siz Swarm catching 🐝 This cluster was about the size of a basketball hanging in a Doug Fir next to a playground. They were super easy to catch with my extension pole! 

Note: don't put a swarm in anything plastic. I hated putting them in this bucket, but it's all I could grab in time. But they can easily overheat in something like this, which lacks good ventilation. I relocated them into a wooden hive super quick, but I was so nervous every minute they were in here.

As always, I chatted with several onlookers. Folks are always so curious about swarms and honeybees. It's a lovely way to educate and build bee ambassadors 🐝 
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Weekend vibes: gardening in pajamas, coffee in han Weekend vibes: gardening in pajamas, coffee in hand, and dirt under my nails before 9am.
This is how I fit homesteading into modern family life—little pockets of peace squeezed between breakfast and soccer games.

It’s not picture-perfect, but it’s real—and it feeds my soul (and my soil). Here’s to slow starts, messy mornings, and growing what we can, when we can.

How do you squeeze in garden time during busy weeks? Pajamas optional—tips welcome.

#hipchickdigs #weekendgardening #momlifeinthegarden #homesteadinglife #gardeninginreallife #slowmorningvibes #growyourown
Hey there, new friends! I’m Renee, a modern home Hey there, new friends! I’m Renee, a modern homesteader living in Portland, Oregon—raising chickens, veggies, and three awesome kids on our little slice of urban heaven.

I'm carrying on generations of knowledge to grow my own food, live more sustainably, and teach my family the value of getting our hands dirty (in the best way). Here, I share the real ups and downs of homesteading—think garden wins, chicken shenanigans, DIY projects, and everyday lessons from the land.

Fun fact: I'm a tango dancer and a landscape architect. Both are useful in the garden 💃🏽 

I’d love to get to know you—drop a comment and tell me where you’re from and what you’re growing (plants, dreams, chickens… anything counts)!

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Homegrown asparagus tastes 1,000% better than anyt Homegrown asparagus tastes 1,000% better than anything from the store. So juicy, crisp, naturally sweet. Some of these were 18" long and still tender. 

Asparagus is a perennial vegetable, meaning you plant once and it comes back every year. You have to wait until year three to start harvesting, but it's worth that wait. 

I do nothing to care for it, but every year I have arms full throughout spring and early summer. I planted an 8' row along an otherwise boring fence. The foliage turns brilliant gold in the fall. Tell me if you grow this crop! 
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More garden arches! This one also started with 20' More garden arches! This one also started with 20' lengths of thin rebar, shoved into the ground with my weight and hooped over loosely. Our old Christmas tree trunks are tied to the rebar, to thicken up the base. 

Pruned branches from our fig tree make good vertical supports. Multi-stemmed branches help build up the sides, bc they can also be woven in horizontally.

The most time is spent weaving in thin, flexible branches horizontally from our plum trees. The structure gets more secure pretty quickly, as tension is built up.

I use twine only selectively. Most is just held in place with just tension alone. It won't last forever, but it's not meant to. I'll rebuild in about 3-4 years as branches need replacing.
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Making woven garden arches 💪🏼 I start with a Making woven garden arches 💪🏼 I start with a few 20' lengths of thin rebar. My soil is soft at this time of year, so I can use my body weight to push them deep into the ground. 

Then I start layering in pruned fruit tree branches. Fig and pear work well as vertical sides. Plum and apple are flexible enough for me to weave in between. Multi-stemmed pieces are helpful to create tangles of branches. I use twine selectively, if at all. 

I dream of hopping across the pond to take a workshop at @damsonfarm.house to improve my technique making natural supports. Some day, I hope! 
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I couldn't bring myself to send these cushions to I couldn't bring myself to send these cushions to a landfill, even though the fabric covers were totally deteriorating. But I've never seen cushion covers for sale, until I stumbled upon these at Ikea.

They fit perfectly! I don't need fancy patio furniture - just a place to put my feet up. So hurray for the small wins and keeping these babies out of the landfill 🎉
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Taking care of yourself can be a form of resistanc Taking care of yourself can be a form of resistance. Rest, nourish your body, tend your garden. Keep your tank full 💪🏼 
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