A few years back I began to formulate the vision I wanted to create for my life. As much as I would like to "work from home", nobody really wants to work...do they? I mean I don't! I am not saying that I want to sit around popping chocolates in my mouth while I watch the soaps. I just mean that some types of work are extremely stressful and put a burden on your time and resources. That is not what I want for my life, personally. I am 46 years old and I want to start now and have it work for me through my retirement years. In saying that, it must be sustainable (hence, homesteading).
SO... we bought a house in November of last year and when Springtime came, we slowly started to use the land we had. First we planted a few flower gardens. My husband seeded the lawn areas to get healthier grass. I had wanted to create a berry patch at the far back of our 2nd lot, so we tilled the soil and planted 3 blueberry varieties and 2 raspberry varieties. Next we planted 6 inch veggie and herb plants that we purchased from the store. The plants were so prosperous and gave us so much joy and pleasure, that I began to see my husband really changing because of tending the plants. Suddenly our relationship began to center around these gardens. In addition to our pets, we had numerous gardens to care for.
This was the garden when it was young...I would say about 2 months in. 
When I first mentioned the idea of homesteading to my now husband, he referenced some Homesteading Act from history pertaining to purchasing land. Homesteading is a lifestyle of Self-Sufficiency. I love the idea of personal sustainability. My husband did not really "get it".
We have not yet even been one year in our new space, and we have set some important "roots" already. We are learning how our land responds to things...So how does that translate into self-sufficiency and sustainability? It's deep...there is a lot to manage. Can I handle it?
I'm starting with my favorite items:
1. Herbs
2. Salad veggies (tomato, cucumbers, peppers)
3. Flowers
4. Berries
Our land is just shy of a half acre with two buildings on it (house and garage). So with approximately 7000 square feet of land to work with, we have ample opportunities here.
One of our most loved items is this tractor. The husband cleverly found a trailer to use for hauling. It's a lawnmower and "stuff-mover". Any good homestead should have one!
During the warm nights of early summer we started to spend more time outside in the backyard (the second lot of land behind the house). This photo taken at dusk shows my neighbors house and car in the rearground. My son is getting ready for the marshmallows as he lounges in a low beach chair. In the farground left- my husband built me this great wheelbarrow. It was in a box (from Lowes)...but it's a great type because it is for push or pull. Its nice and deep and I use it to haul watering cans from the water source to the berry patch. We are planning on making a water storage system (picture a large barrel that catches or stores water with a spigget /hose to release the water using gravity).
CHILD + DOG + TENT= HAPPINESS
My son is 12 years old and this tent is tiny but a fun place to chill with his best buddy Cloud, our 13 yr old Australian Shepard. This little pop tent is great for shade or rest. We invested in a larger 3-person tent shortly after this and we have it out in the backyard. It's nice to just lay in it and relax sometimes away from the noise of the house.
Above is a picture of my herbs drying in the house (in the kitchen). We grow the herbs in our garden right on the property, and then they can be dried, used fresh or stored in the refrigerator. We found a long stick in the neighbor's yard and my son took time to whittle it by carving of the lichen and outer layer of the branch. We suspended it from the kitchen ceiling by twine, using eye hooks in the ceiling. We hang the herbs themselves by twine using clothespins so they can be hung and taken down easily.
The herbs and veggies are growing together in one small garden patch at this point but we have plans to change it next spring.
Above is our 6 inch cucumber plant that we added to the corner of the
2 1/2 x 20ft garden that goes down about 8 inches deep. Instructions stated to plant them 6 inches apart...so aside this we planted Parsley and then Basil (in a row). But...the plant grew and grew and grew...and about a month later it was SO HUGE.
My husband saw that the vines of the plant were crawling onto the ground OUTSIDE of the garden. It began to creep along the yard and the driveway. I would get home from work, and where I park in the driveway is right next to this plant...and the curling vines would reach my foot as I stepped out of my truck. So my husband built a trellis made of wood stakes and twine.
This was a few weeks ago...the veggies are over the window line now and much rounder and fuller. There are a lot of tomatoes and cucumbers growing on the plants. What we have concluded here is :
1. It is sensible to grow veggies vertically- see how they climb the trellis but they continue to blossom? This saves us space!
2. The soil and sun on this tiny bit of land on the side of our house is great for growing!
So my husband and I have hatched a plan for next year's planting season:
1. We are going to create another 2 1/2 x 20 ft -long bed against the road (creating a path between the two garden boxes).
2. Against the house we will grow the vegetable plants that grow higher and crawl such as the tomatoes and cucumbers. In the other bed nearer to the road, we will grow smaller plants such as the peppers.
3. Our Wedding Arbor will be anchored as the entry point from the parking lot and our rear door of the house, to this garden zone. The walkway will be just organic (dirt path) that will run about 22 feet and go from the driveway to the front yard.
I love the picture that this creates in my mind and I cannot wait to develop it! Right now we are working on weather-proofing the Arbor by filling cracks in the wood. Then we will give it a few weather-proofing coats of a good paint. These steps are SO necessary for anything outdoors in New England.
These were today in the veggie garden- it's in the 90's today, so I am about to give them some water.
I cannot wait to write the blog when the entire garden area is built and prospering!
BE WELL
~namaste
