So far, 2018 has had some of the strangest weather. It started out with an extremely cold winter. Then, we had a wet spring. Our local weather forecaster announced today that this weekend will be our first dry weekend since before Easter! Mother Nature is weird. That said, my garden beds never got started this spring, but there is still a lot going on out there. ...
Homesteading
DIY: Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent
On my to-do list for this week – making my own laundry detergent. Yes, I make my own laundry detergent instead of buying it at the store, and you know what, I like it more than the name brand that I grew up using. I started making my own laundry detergent about eight years ago, and haven’t had any regrets! In fact, on the rare occasion that something is washed in regular store bought detergent, I notice a difference in the scent (my husband said his shirt smelled like Pez) and in ...
Start Your Spring Garden Now!
You can get a jump on your spring and summer garden by starting your seeds indoors in February. Garden centers, as well as Home Depot and Lowes, are already well stocked with seed starting supplies and tons of fruit, vegetable, herb, and flower seeds. Most fruits and vegetables can be started indoors and then transplanted outside in about 6-8 weeks. However, root vegetables such as radishes, carrots, beets, turnips, and parsnips do not transplant well and should be ...
Backyard Maple Sugaring: Day 1
When I shared my homemaking & homesteading goals for February, one thing I mentioned wanting to do was tap our maple trees. I have been reading up on backyard sugaring and making maple syrup. I figured this was another homesteading skill that I could develop and share with others - my family, my scouts, and our community. Local farms in our region held their maple tapping events this past weekend, so yesterday I decided it was time for us to tap our trees as well. ...
Gifts for Gardeners
Whether you are shopping for Christmas or any other celebration, these gifts for gardeners are sure to be a hit! As a gardeners, I always have a wish list of things that I would like for myself - various books and magazines, certain plants I want to grow, tools I need to make the job easier. I know I'm not the only one who feels this way, so I asked the members of the Greater Philadelphia Gardening & Homesteading Community to help me come up with this year's gift guide for ...