Adventures of an urban homesteader growing greens, preserving the harvest and tending a backyard barnyard
Decisions, decisions… I have a Powell’s gift certificate burning a hole in my pocket and I think this weekend is the one to spend it. I’m in a funk and nothing says instant-happiness than some good materialistic fulfillment. The seeds are still sprouting on my record player, so my vinyl can’t take the funk away. A few months ago I added a new book to
When it’s sunny in Portland, it reminds all of us why we endure the 60-some consecutive days of rain in the winter. A sunny, warm day makes it all worth it to live here. The cherry blossoms are blooming around town and we left the windows open all day long. I got so hot working outside that I actually had to come in and change
There has been a lot going on this past weekend, so very little garden work was done. Honestly, that was okay. A friend pointed out to me that I am the only one he knows who is outside working the soil in Portland right now. I think I deserve a little break. The good thing is that the garden continues to develop without my hand
The broccoli seeds have really taken off. This weekend they are getting moved out into a raised garden bed. The chives and leeks are just kind of “eh”. My poor kale, on the other hand, has not raised a single green peep. Tonight I replanted my kale seeds from last year in the newspaper pots, this time adding in 2-3 seeds per pot. Maybe the
The first egg of the season arrived this weekend! Surely Spring can’t be far behind. I assume the little green egg was from Hazel, since she is the most consistent layer of all the girls. Pearl and Winnie gave up their egg-laying duties around Labor Day, but Hazel kept up through about mid-October. It kills me to buy commercial eggs from the store when I
The seeds have sprouted! Well, the broccoli seeds at least. The kale and chives have yet to poke their little heads out of my newspaper pots. They were seeds from last season so I am hoping they have not gone bad. Doesn’t it just seem too quick for seeds to “go bad” after one season? I was starting to get a little nervous about my
It will be a long time before I top the weekend I just had. My weekend was full of my favorite things: being with my best friend in the whole world, gardening in the sunshine, eating bratwurst at Otto’s, sharing Sunday brunch with friends, taking country drives, playing with ceramics in my studio, tango dancing until my feet are sore… My best friend Erika, who
It has only been a few days since planting my first round of seeds, but I am anxiously awaiting their arrival into the world. One would think aliens have landed in our house when they see the strange glow through our front window, blinds closed, eerily bright light peeking through openings. My eyes are just glued on those little plastic domes first thing in the
This is the first year I am starting seeds indoors for my vegetable and herb garden. In the past, I have been willing to take my chances shoving seeds directly in the ground when the weather was warm enough. After my experience last year with my urban chickens digging up and eating so many of my seeds, I thought transplanting small plants might improve the
Jerusalem artichokes are edible tubers that have a similar taste to globe artichokes, although they are actually not related to one another. They are also not from Jerusalem. So who knows where that name came from. They produce lovely flowers through the summer reminiscent of sunflowers and you eat the tuber in the Fall once they are harvested. With all of this in mind, it
Spring bed prep, the soil-building way! 
Upgrade your hanging basket game! 
Here’s
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