I'd like to start this post by wishing a Happy 70th (day) Birthday to the gorgeous stars of the duckling video in this post and also in my previous posts: Raising Ducklings Week 1 (with video) Raising Ducklings Week 2 (with video). I faithfully took videos of these 13 beautiful Muscovy ducklings every day for… Continue reading Raising Ducklings – Week 3 (with video)
Tag: simplestead
Growing, Harvesting, and Curing Saffron at Home (with Video)
Saffron is one of the most exotic seeming and expensive spices in the world. Yet I grow an abundant perennial crop of it in a weedy, but compost rich patch of ground in my North Carolina backyard. My backyard. Okay, so my backyard isn't exactly a typical yard. It's a homesteader's fantasy of organic food… Continue reading Growing, Harvesting, and Curing Saffron at Home (with Video)
Decorative and Useful Garden Fencing
You know that expression "good fences make good neighbors"? Well, I always thought of that turn of phrase as negative. That's probably because Robert Frost's poem, Mending Wall, made it seem so divisive and futile. Yet, it doesn't have to be that way. Good Reasons for Fences There are many ways a good fence can… Continue reading Decorative and Useful Garden Fencing
Raising Ducklings Week 2 (with Video)
This article is part of a series on what life with ducks is like. It's intended to give new duck keepers, duck dreamers, and anyone who needs some adorable diversion an inside look at simple ways to keep ducks. Be forewarned, my point in creating these posts is to make you want to keep ducks… Continue reading Raising Ducklings Week 2 (with Video)
Growing and Harvesting Ginger at Home (with Video and a Peak in My Fall Garden)
Hi everyone! It's finally fall here in Northwestern North Carolina. After the intense heat, humidity, and heavy rains we've had for the last two months, this weather is an amazing gift. I just wish I could wrap it up and share it with the West Coast for awhile to help all those brave people out… Continue reading Growing and Harvesting Ginger at Home (with Video and a Peak in My Fall Garden)
Raising Ducklings Week 1 (with Video)
Mama Madge, one of my free range Muscovy ducks, hatched out 13 adorable ducklings on August 26. Up until two years ago, we had so little predator pressure on our homestead, that she could have raised these ducklings to maturity on our large pond with no help from me. Unfortunately, the predators finally found us.… Continue reading Raising Ducklings Week 1 (with Video)
Growing and Harvesting Mustard for Spice
As a homesteader, I grow most of our vegetables, herbs, and fruits. I also raise chickens and ducks for eggs and keep goats for dairy. But until a few years ago, I still bought most of my spices. Since I use tons of spices when cooking and making ferments, that meant I still had a… Continue reading Growing and Harvesting Mustard for Spice
How to Choose the Right Duck Breeds
If you are looking for inspiration to help you choose the right duck breeds for your homestead, take a look at my post on Morning Chores. https://morningchores.com/best-duck-breeds/ While you are there, take a few minutes to browse all the other informative homestead posts and inspiration on that amazing reference site. There are all sorts of… Continue reading How to Choose the Right Duck Breeds
The Little Yellow Duck House and Mirabelle Plums
Looking for duck housing and run inspiration? Check out my converted chicken coop with a run inspired by a chunnel (chicken tunnel).
Meyer Lemon Love
If you are looking for a plant to make you happy mid-winter, let me tell you about these glorious golden globes pictured above. These luscious lovelies make the whole month of January feel like it's lit with radiant summer sunshine. On cloudy days, or when I just need a winter pick me up, I head… Continue reading Meyer Lemon Love
The Power of a Well-Planned Potager
Do you want your garden to produce food even with 4 weeks of neglect in extreme heat and dry weather? Then plant a well-planned potager garden.
Annatto, Achiote, or the Lipstick Tree
Learn more about the annatto, achiote, or lipstick tree. Its seeds are used to color food naturally and spice up many food dishes from its native growing areas. It is also a lovely ornamental that can even be grown in pots.
Thai Basil
Thai basil grows very similar to other basils. It does well in fertile, well-draining soils, and can tolerate some drought. It has been much slower to flower than the common Genovese basil and more resistant to bolting in hot, dry weather. This basil grows a bit slower than many other basils, but puts on a… Continue reading Thai Basil
Persian Basil
Persian basil is a mild tasting,easy to grow, member of the basil family.
Harvest and Succession Plant Your Homestead Potager
The garden explosion happened. Those tiny, seedlings I showed pictures of in the last post Plant Your Homestead Potager suddenly started to look like fully-fledged plants. Even when you visit your garden daily, and observe the incremental growth, there is still this moment when you realize "Wow, this is a real garden." Honestly, it was… Continue reading Harvest and Succession Plant Your Homestead Potager
