I may have ordered a lot of seeds. I know I'm not alone. I know you're out there. Check out my seed order picks from Baker Creek and my favourite local company, Heritage Harvest Seed. (not affiliated) Besides collecting my own seeds, like these ...
Around the yard
How to Grow and Dry Milky Oat Tops
Learn how to grow milky oat tops and how to dry and preserve them. These soothing seeds deserve a place in your garden, bringing another level to the nutritious and calming effects of oats in what we’ve grown up with as oatmeal for breakfast (I could ...
Grow Onions From and For Seed
Learn about the whole lifecycle of onions, from planting seeds to collecting seeds! This staple of the garden and kitchen takes on a whole new life as a beautiful allium flower as we explore how to become more self-sufficient by discovering how to ...
Grow Your Own Leeks
Maybe I just like leeks because they reach out of the typical garden fair, like carrots and onions, into the realm of unique. But there are many worthwhile reasons to grow leeks, such as being frost tolerant and largely pest free. I’ve been ...
Homestead Garden Decor
Welcome to my garden. This is not a round up of other people’s gardens and pictures. This is you coming for a visit to my garden. My style of homestead garden decor is a cross between antique and au naturelle found objects. Come on in! Our ...
Beet Soup and Growing My Favourite Beets
Beet soup, Beet borscht, whatever you call it, this colourful soup is reminiscent of those garden days, full of fresh vegetables and dill. This is an quick and easy recipe, ready for weeknight dinner or comfort food on Saturday afternoon. Did you ...
Plant a Tree: Native vs. Introduced Trees
Have you been wanting to plant a native tree in your yard? Have you had trouble finding one to buy? There may be logical reasons why they are hard to find, and why choosing an introduced tree species might be a better option. You know I like ...
Grow Your Own Dry Beans
Is your dinner plate looking a little green? Do you need something to round out your garden produce? I’m not even talking about potatoes. Dry beans are a fantastic way to add some satisfying protein to a garden produced meal. This year I grew ...
Carrots: Sowing, Storing, Saving Seed
There is a reason carrots are so popular in the garden – cold hardy, pest and disease resistant, and easy to grow once germinated. But the only reason you really need to grow carrots is the sweet, earthy taste of a garden carrot that you just can’t ...
Drought Tolerant, Cold Tolerant Evergreen Shrubs
Do you need privacy? Do you have dry or well-draining soil? Do you need a beautiful green view in the dead of winter, but value the winter sun? These drought tolerant, cold tolerant evergreen shrubs are just what you have been looking for! I ...
I'm Erika, I live on eighty acres in the northern prairies of southern Manitoba with my husband and four kids. Here, we enjoy the outdoors and try to be more self sufficient as we try new things in the garden and learn about our land and the world around us.