Adventures of an urban homesteader growing greens, preserving the harvest and tending a backyard barnyard
It’s still pretty grey in Portland in late February, but a careful eye in the garden shows signs of spring at every turn. Here are some promises of spring I am noticing in the garden. Our flowering quince shrubs have buds at the brink of opening. Quince will mostly set fruit on woody stems developed in the previous year. As much as I love indoor
My indoor Meyer lemon tree gave me a small harvest this year and the fruit is far too special to make into just any old dish. I decided to make a simple lemon butter to savor every ounce of flavor – unadulterated. The end product is a bright, creamy and versatile spread that shows off the homegrown flavor of my citrus fruit. I used Meyer
It’s the beginning of a new gardening season and already I see blooming plants that I wish I could make room for in my garden. On a recent afternoon, I took a tour of my favorite local nursery to admire their many varieties of winter blooming witch hazel. You will generally find three varieties of witch hazel: the North American native called Hamamelis virginiana, the
My gardening ambition grows with every year, increasing the pressure to maximize every inch of gardening space. Climbing peas and beans grow on teepees among the fruit trees and berry bushes, while squash and melons lumber along the ground shading the soil. Aside from these space-gobblers, most of our vegetables are grown in four gorgeous raised beds. The beds came from NaturalYards, a local Oregon
It has been a cold, dry January thus far – at least it seems that way to me. Some of the crops that typically overwinter uncovered have been barely hanging on. This chilly swiss chard is one example. The plants are still alive, but we won’t be harvesting them until it warms up enough for them to leaf out more. Inside, a not-super-sunny-window is providing
I am fortunate to live in the mild climate of the Pacific Northwest, but even we have had some pretty chilly days of late. When the temperature dips around or below freezing, the backyard birds need a little extra care. There are water warming trays on the market for backyard livestock, which come in handy in a cold climate. I have never quite gotten around
One of the best winter gardening activities is actually spent indoors, reading all those gardening books you never have time to get to in the growing season. I have wanted to share a few titles that I have been reading lately. Disclaimer: I am not receiving any incentive to write this review, but the book link will take you to my Amazon store page. If
Last year, I was disappointed to learn that my gorgeous Puget Sound Apricot tree had a terrible case of blight. Early spring leaves looked like they had been pricked all over with tiny pin holes. Then the fruit began to develop with a thick scab. Still, the tree managed to put on some nice growth later in the season. I ate the fruit despite it’s
This has been a year of nesting, growing our family, expanding the garden, sinking our roots deeper down into our homestead and savoring where we are at in life. Our tiny 700 square foot house is just the way we want it. Cozy, warm, and designed to fit our style. The garden just grows and grows by leaps and bounds with every season. Our winter
Vegetables and herbs grow all around the homestead, but a big portion of the harvest is grown in our four raised beds. They are as attractive as they are functional, but unfortunately we are not the only ones who feel that way. Neighbor cats and our backyard chickens also love the raised beds. The cats think it’s their communal litter box and the chickens would
