DIY marigold garland - how to

This year we grew four different canning tomato varieties - Roma, San Marzano, Jersey Devil & Opalka. We also grew some slicing varieties - big rainbow and boxcar willie. Then there’s the snacking tomatoes - sun gold, geranium kiss, and red pears.

Fall garden planting can be a little overwhelming - here’s a quick guide with super helpful info to help you determine where, what, and how to grow a thriving fall garden!

When I took time to reflect on the garden thus far and look back at last year’s notes to compare how things are going I realized that we are so far ahead of where we were last year! Everything is planted except our in-ground bed of corn, squash, and some herb ground cover and our kitchen garden on our deck and patio.

Gardening at this time of the year is like playing on a teeter totter - one side holds the rush of the season, the never ending to do lists and the feeling that there’s not enough time to get it all done; the other tells us to slow down, unpredictable weather makes knowing when to plant difficult, heavy spring rains that keep us inside, grateful for the rest deep down.

I’ve been using a form of this meal planning template for YEARS. I always feel so much more prepared for a busy week (they are all busy!) when I take the time to use this template to plan out meals, any prep I can do ahead of time, and a comprehensive grocery list.

Download our beginner kombucha guide!

Last year (2021) we built 10 raised beds. Using 2x4 lumber this would have cost us over $100 per bed. That kind of price is not in our budget. So we used cedar fence pickets. Last year a 6” x 6’ cedar fence picket was only $2 (or less), making the cost per bed around $20. TWENTY DOLLARS.

I, like most, fall into the annual trap of setting a resolution in January and failing to keep up with it once the appeal of the new year wears off. This year I decided that instead of a resolution I would set monthly words of intention to help ground and focus my attention each month.

We started seeds in mid-February so we have had about 6 weeks of gardening under our belt already. It may not be the back-breaking, sweaty, dirt-under-your-nails type of gardening that happens from late April through June (and beyond) but it’s still gardening!

With less than 10 ingredients and a simple preparation, this salad is a great winter side dish to add some color, protein, and veggies to your plates.

It might be a crime to make plain banana bread. Yeah, I said it. The addition of things like tart berries, chewy dried fruit, crunchy nuts, and decadent chocolate chunks just ADDS to the deliciousness of the bread. And it’s an excuse to eat dessert for breakfast so why not go all out?

While the days are still full of darkness

I intend to use the space created by the slowness

To visualize my gardens

I intend to use the time inside

To learn about sourdough

I intend to use the energy created by the calmness

To fall into a new routine that is centered on goals and intention

Carrots are one of the items that we ALWAYS have in the fridge. We started giving them to the dogs instead of traditional treats a while back and we cook with them a lot. We have tried to grow them every year that we’ve had a garden (2022 will be year 6) and have never had an impressive harvest. We just plant them and pay no attention to the varieties that we are growing or what carrots actually need to grow successfully.

I’m one of those people who loves checking things off the list, so it feels pretty damn good to have checks next to each of our goals. We were far from perfect, so let’s dive in further…

We are lucky enough to have had an established pasture with a solid barn that has water and electric when we bought our property. It’s what sealed the deal for me.

It’s true that homesteading usually comes with a home. And at least an acre of property. And a big garden. And animals. And children. But do you have to have all of these things to "homestead"?

Certain aspects of my life are simpler because I choose to stay at home part-time and raise our daughter, grow and preserve food, and consume fewer new items. The ease that comes with homesteading is more of a mental sigh, a deep breath of gratitude for allowing yourself to be connected to nature, and pride for the beauty and abundance that you’ve created in reciprocity with nature.