Urban Homestead Beginner
It’s no secret that the CO-VID pandemic prompted a lot of folks to start gardens. Some people were concerned about the food supply – crops were unharvested, rotting in the field. Grocery shelves were empty. Others were trying to find a socially distant past time to keep themselves and the kids busy out of the house.
For our client, the Urban Homestead Beginner, it was a bit of both. We’d been over for a brief consultation with the Urban Homestead Beginner about a year prior to evaluate the current landscaping at their new home, but they weren’t even considering a food garden at that point. They are a busy on-the-go family so they thought it’d be too much work.
But, they suddenly found themselves at home, wondering what to do with themselves, and two small active children. Solution – plant a garden!
Garden Projects for Kids
You can expose children to gardening even if you don’t have much space. Your space doesn’t actually need to be outdoors. A sunny window or corner on the front porch can be just enough sun to light up young eyes to the magic of growing. While plants themselves are pretty great, you can jazz it up a bit with simple recycled or common household items. These garden projects for kids will help YOU help your child learn more about gardening while upcycling some common household materials.
Tori’s Family Food Forest
One of our favorite consulting jobs was Tori’s family food forest. They had just purchased their first home and dreamed of butterflies frolicking through gardens bursting with fresh food. There were a few mismatched shrubs in the backyard, but it was otherwise a blank canvas.
What to Plant in August
When people tell you “nothing grows in Florida summers” don’t listen! There are so many delicious and easy-to-grow crops that you can enjoy this time of year, and it’s the perfect time to begin planning and planting for your fall Florida garden.
Preserving Zucchini
If you have more than one happy zucchini plant, you likely have a lot of fruit. Sharing is caring – but when your friends and neighbors start to back away before you can say “zucc-” you know they’ve had enough. Fortunately, there’s so many ways of preserving zucchini for later.
Heat-Loving Beans
Let’s face it – gardening in Florida can be tough. With our heat, humidity, rains, and poor soil, it seems like the deck is stacked against us. However, much of the Earth enjoys a tropical climate, even warmer than Florida. Yet native people have been living off the land and growing food in abundance for generations. Rain forests thrive too. There must be a way to garden despite all of these hurdles. Choosing the right type of plant for the growing season is so important to your garden’s success.
More Than Pickles: Preserving Cucumbers
I was recently gifted 30 pounds of freshly picked but slightly over-grown pickling cucumbers. My family likes pickles but that is thirty pounds is A LOT of pickles, so I turned to google to find inspiration for alternatives.
Planting a Food Forest on a Shoestring Budget
Growing food doesn’t need to be hard or expensive. You don’t need a bunch of raised beds or expensive planter boxes. If you have an area in your yard about 30 feet long and 10 feet wide give or take, you can grow a pretty good amount of food for very little money and take care of it in an hour or two a week.
7 Ways to Garden with Your Toddler
I’m determined to grow food. Not even the quick hands or stomping feet of a toddler can keep me down! I’ve revamped my yard, taking a little time to get myself ready for my toddler’s curiosity and energy to be helpful to his growth and my garden’s rather than utter destruction. Here are some ideas that have really helped me.
