Enrollment for my Resilient Homestead Program is Open!
Despite a bumper crop of raspberries and tomatoes starting to produce, it’s not all unicorns and butterflies over here on the homestead. Weekday harvests in the food forest have been interrupted by the background noise of earthmoving machines. You may recall that to make way for a new development, a substantial wildlife corridor was taken down
How I Established My Native Wildflower Garden Read More »
In my video today, I talk with Caiseal Orsini from Hillside Nursery about her Top 3 Tips for pruning fruit trees. Caiseal is a certified arborist and co-owner of a Bozeman-based nursery which specializes in trees, shrubs and drought tolerant plants. When we plant fruit trees, it’s important to commit to their pruning and care
Top 3 Tips for Fruit Tree Pruning Read More »
My video today gives you a little peek into what I have growing in the greenhouse in in June. Like I’ve mentioned before, the greenhouse is a dynamic ‘ecosystem’, much like your outdoor garden. You may have seen the tour of my greenhouse in May and now you’ll notice that things have changed significantly in just
June Greenhouse Tour! Read More »
Though it’s often challenging to grow in our climate, one advantage is that we don’t have to deal with a lot of garden pests. Aphids, cabbage worms and flea beetles are usually the extent of the pests I’ll deal with in any given year and typically, they are never out of control. Flea beetles are
Q&A with Kareen – What to do about flea beetles… Read More »
There’s nothing more disappointing then putting your time and energy into growing veggies that don’t taste great. After a season of watering, weeding and fertilizing, you bite into that luscious cucumber and you immediately spit it out because it tastes so bitter. In my video today, I address Rachel’s question about how to prevent bitter
Q&A with Kareen – How do I prevent bitter cucumbers? Read More »
Chickens are one of the easier and more useful animals to have in your backyard gardens. In permaculture, they are often the example of “each element performing multiple functions.” In other words, having chickens as part of your backyard ecosystem accomplishes several functions at once. Not only can they provide you with eggs and meat
How I Use My Chickens to Prep New Garden Beds Read More »
Since planting season is underway, this week’s Q&A with Kareen is especially timely and all about native plants. Sam asks what native plants grow in a cold climate and I share some of the shrubs and wildflowers that I have growing in my front yard. Sam’s question is especially relevant since in April of 2023,
Q&A with Kareen – What native plants grow in a cold climate? Read More »
It’s May in the garden which means cool season crops are starting to get planted in the outdoor garden while things in the greenhouse have really taken off. May in Montana is always ‘go-time’ for planting, transplanting and more planting! My video today gives you a little peek into what I have growing in the
May Greenhouse Tour! Read More »
If you haven’t seen vole damage in your yard or garden this spring, consider yourself lucky! The sustained snow over our long winter created the perfect environment for these voracious rodents to nibble on shrubs, trees, and perennial plants with impunity! It’s definitely disheartening to see years of growth disappear over the winter. As I
Vole Damage? Here are some strategies… Read More »
Permaculture is definitely one of the most misunderstood and obscure terms in the sustainability and gardening field. Is it a technique? A way of gardening? A philosophy? Catherine Kirchner from Uncommon Pastures recently interviewed me about permaculture. Catherine owns a small, diverse, regenerative farm near Big Timber, MT where she raises grassfed & grass finished
What is Permaculture? Read More »