Part Of Your Yard Should Be A Garden

Country land doesn't appeal to everyone!

It is true that homesteading is not for everyone. If it was, then it would probably be hard to find land to live on. It does not mean that the other people are wrong. Just because someone lives in the country, it does not mean that are homesteaders. There are many country homes with absolutely nothing but  lawn surrounding their homes. No garden growing at all. Most important too, you do not need to live in the country to be a homesteader. Yes, you cannot raise livestock in the city, but I don't raise them either living here. You do not need to raise livestock to be a homesteader. No rules, is what I have always told you on this blog.

Our cats and dog thank us for keeping lawn cut short!

Now I am not saying that lawn is a bad thing. Actually it is a good thing. If you have grass and you let it get long, then you will have many insects, fleas, even ticks. If you live in an area of poisonous snakes, you will have them too. Mice too, like to run through thick grass. So it pays to keep what grass you have, cut short. Well, not too short. We do not like the butchered look. We always keep our lawn mowed and neat. Of course, having an electric lawn mower makes it easy for my husband to keep it mowed now. Having chickens or other poultry will keep the insects down in the grass also.

Everyone should grow SOME food!

A garden though, even if you have no intention of being self-sufficient or preparing for bad times, should be on everyone's property. The home grown produce is only touched by you and your family. It can be as organic as you want it. It can be the varieties you and your family love. The home grown strawberry, cucumber, or tomato, picked fresh and eaten from the vine, is a taste you will NEVER get from store bought. Or for that matter, even bought at a farmer's market, it is not like the one picked in your own garden. Try it this year!

Green beans are always plentiful in my garden!

Copyright © 2012 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2012  Kathleen G. Lupole

Horses Eating Grass On Our Lawn Today!

Mowing the lawn!

One of the best things about living out here in the state forest is that you can basically do what you want without neighbors complaining. We have no neighbors, at least no full time ones. Most of the houses around us are hunting camps. We like it that way!

This past week we have started letting our three horses out in our yard to mow the lawn. They do a very good job. They even trim around my stone bed that I have potatoes planted in and they don't nibble on the plants. It's pretty strange to be sitting in the house working on my laptop and look up and see a horse looking in the window. I think they must have always wondered what we do in the house. My horse, Georgie Girl has always paid a lot of attention to the house. Even where she lived before moving here I would see her looking over the fence at the house. She is extremely smart and is the "boss mare" so I am not surprised if she wonders about such things.

Dark Shadow is highly spirited!

By letting them out in the yard every morning we have been able to cut back on their hay. Now they are not get the morning hay and don't seem to care. They just want that fresh grass. Their paddock doesn't have any due to it having been part of the forest. This year some has started growing for the first time. So it saves us money.

The big savings is that we don't have to buy gas or oil for the lawnmower. Or waste that time mowing when we can be working on the computer. We have never had good luck with a lawnmower. Seems like they always break down. Even when you buy a good one. They rarely last for a few years. So maybe we will never replace them!

Copyright © 2005 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2005 Kathleen G. Lupole

Updated 2024