by Texas Homesteader ~
Our homestead is located in Northeast Texas. There are lots of native things growing all by themselves here that provide for us with no effort needed except the harvesting. Gotta love foraging for free food, right??
by Texas Homesteader ~
How will I protect baby rabbit kits in the nest from my dog’s killer instincts until they’re old enough to fend for themselves? See this rabbit’s nest guard I came up with. It was free using things I already had.
by Texas Homesteader~
I was thrilled to find a soapberry tree growing in our NE Texas property. I found it far back in a remote pasture. The berries on the tree had already turned yellow in those cool autumn days.
As a matter of fact, it was the yellow orbs that attracted my attention to the three. So I took photos of the tree, leaves, bark and the berries and sent them to my extension agent for proper identification.
She reported back that the tree was a Western Soapberry Tree (or Sapindus saponaria ssp. drummondii)
by Texas Homesteader~
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Topic Warning: Snake Catching. Now before I begin, let me say that I realize not everyone sees snakes the same way we do. Some may be terrified of snakes and feel they all must die – friend or foe. If that’s you, I respect your feelings.
But for our home, I personally feel they’re an important part of our ecosystem. Especially living out in the country, they keep mice & rat populations in check. A venomous snake must go of course. But around here, non-venomous snakes are simply relocated away from our home.
But getting up close & personal with a snake – good or bad – can make ya nervous, you know?? So we needed a way to be able to catch snakes safely. For us and for them.
by Texas Homesteader ~
Uh oh, something has burrowed beneath the rosemary by our back porch. We’re guessing it’s an armadillo. What a mess! So much dirt has been kicked up into the rock border of our porch and the burrow is obviously into the roots of my beloved rosemary plant.
But it’s hard to trap an armadillo because they’re not really attracted to bait. Come see what worked for us.
by Texas Homesteader ~
The Western Soapberry Tree (or Sapindus saponaria ssp. drummondii) is native in North America. I make my own all natural zero-waste shampoo with the berries I harvest. It’s all I’ve used for nearly 10 years now.
