Spiderwort is a plant I covet as an outdoor plant and generally will keep as an indoor plant. It has beautiful, pointed leaves and pretty blue flowers in the spring, but is not native to where I live and shouldn’t be grown outdoors outside of its native range. Still, I admire and adore the plant....
Peas are a popular vegetable for gardeners in no small part because they are planted very early in the growing season and harvest early – before the heat of the summer really sets in. But did you know that you can usually grow two crops of peas in a single year? Say hello to fall...
Nothing quite beats the smell of fresh, fragrant honeysuckle flowers early in the spring. In my neck of the woods, they’re one of the first really prolific, fragrant flowers that blooms. When you can smell the honeysuckle flowers in the breeze, that’s when you know it is definitely spring. Growing winter honeysuckle is a breeze....
Hatching eggs in an incubator at home is one of the most addictive parts of the backyard farming hobby and it’s hands down the most cost-effective way to start or grow your flock of chickens. There are few things more satisfying than watching new life spring forth from the eggs you’ve been carefully incubating for...
New Zealand rabbits are among my favorite breeds to keep, whether you’re an enthusiastic pet rabbit owner or work on a full-sized farm. These rabbits are friendly, intelligent, and tame. My New Zealand rabbits love being pet, and held, and have a lot of fun running around their playpen in the yard. Rabbits produce little...
Ferns in general are among my favorite indoor plants. They come in tons of different varieties and can take on a fairly exotic appearance. When I’m in a room full of ferns, I feel a bit like I’m on the canopy floor of a dense jungle. Ferns are prehistoric plants that date back up to...
Novogen chickens are one of my all time favorite types of chicken, not just because they’re pretty much the best egg laying hen around, but because they’re hardy, durable, docile, and generally pretty quiet. These chickens are a little bit new to the scene but are making a big splash due to their prolific egg...
Pumpkins are one of my all-time favorite plants because they’re a popular decoration and food during my all-time favorite season: Autumn. My favorite way to decorate a pumpkin is by carving a stellar celestial pumpkin. But these Jack Be Little Pumpkins are a little too small for that. Each year, I harvest these pumpkins and...
Hatching eggs in an incubator at home is one of the most addictive parts of the backyard farming hobby. There are few things more satisfying than watching new life spring forth from the eggs you’ve been carefully incubating for weeks. One of my favorite types of poultry to hatch and raise myself are turkeys. Turkeys...
The Pekin duck, sometimes called the American Pekin duck or the Long Island duck is a large breed of duck popular among duck raisers. They’re a reliable breed, docile and productive, and very easy to keep. They’re known for their large, white eggs, stunning bright white feathers, and loud quacks. I’ve kept Pekin ducks for...
The Arrowhead Plant is one of my favorite common indoor houseplants. It takes a little bit more effort to care for them, especially very large plants, but this vining plant with dense foliage can really fill out a designated space and add a flair of floral beauty to your home. It is very easy to...
Around the world, more and more people are raising guinea fowl in their backyards. The bird’s increasing popularity has lead to increased interest and availability. If you’ve raised chickens or ducks before, you may find yourself interested in taking on a new type of poultry. Before we go track down some guinea fowl chicks, we...
