Because figs don’t ship well, it’s hard to find fresh figs in the local grocery store. Fortunately, fig trees are easy to grow and care for, making them perfect for growing in the backyard orchard. Fig trees ( Ficus carica) originated in Northwestern Asia and the Middle East. They were brought to the Americas by […]
Edible Perennial Vegetables, Fruit and Herbs to Harvest Year After Year
When most people think about the food garden, they think about annuals like tomatoes, cucumbers, and broccoli. But there are many perennial vegetables, fruits, and herbs that will grow in all but the very coldest gardening zones. Every year we try to plant edible perennials in our garden. Our goals is that over time we’ll […]
Growing a Mulberry Tree {and how to use mulberry leaves, branches, and berries}
A mulberry tree is a must for your homestead or backyard. They are fast growing shade trees and provide food for your family and fodder for chickens, ducks, goats and other livestock. The mulberry tree leaves, bark and berries are all edible. When we moved to our property we were so happy to find a […]
Planting and planning a family orchard
Growing a fruit garden on your property will give you years of harvest as most fruits are perennial plants. Your backyard orchard will provide food for your family and wildlife and add beauty and shade to your property. Since the day we moved here (even before that really) we knew we wanted to grow a […]
Six fast growing fruit trees {and one vegetable}
Aww, fruit trees! It’s been said that the best time to plant a fruit tree is yesterday – because they take so long to produce. And while it’s true that you won’t get fruit the first year you plant a fruit tree it doesn’t have to take years and years to get fruit either. There […]
Growing Pineapples from Store Bought Tops
Of all this things I’ve grown, I think I’m most excited about growing pineapples. I’m not really sure why but I am. There’s something wonderful about planting the top of a pineapple and in a couple of years have fruit. This photo is from August 2011. About 4 months after I planted a pineapple top […]
Growing Meyer Lemon and Other Citrus Indoors or Out
We’ve been growing citrus for about 10 years and they grow quite easily in our climate. However, citrus can also be grown in pots and even indoors. Meyer lemons and satsuma oranges are great for growing citrus indoors. For the most part, all citrus has the same growing requirements. Of course, some citrus varieties are […]
In the garden… blueberries
Have I mentioned that we have blueberry bushes? Well, we have three. I bought them last year (as in 2010) on clearance at Walmart. They didn’t really do much last year, in fact, I wasn’t sure if one was going to make it. But it did. This year they had beautiful white blooms on them. […]
In the garden…melons
When we planted our Roma tomatoes this year we put some of last years compost in the bed. For all the other beds we used aged hay from a friend’s horse and goats. By the time we planted the Romas we were out of farm “stuff”. I had started my Romas from seed and a […]