Tag Archives: spring

Using Natural Materials: Straw In The Garden

by Texas Homesteader ~

I like to use natural materials in my garden. Things such as straw, wood chips Dry Leaves or even grass mulch after RancherMan mows the lawn and bags the cut grass. (be sure to let that freshly-cut grass cure a bit before adding it close to your plants or it could burn them)

For instance, I have a grapevine that I’ve surrounded with three bales of straw. That straw serves a dual purpose. Its initial purpose is to protect my garden from encroaching bermuda grass.

Using Straw in the vegetable garden to preserve moisture. AND reduce weeds! Come see how a bale of straw does double duty. Nothing's wasted. #TexasHomesteader

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How To Line-Dry Sheets Outside On A Windy Day

by Texas Homesteader ~  

Do you struggle drying your clean sheets outside due to the wind? You know the drill, you fight to get the sheets onto the line. Then the wind catches them & makes them want to set sail into the next county!  

But I’ve discovered a secret to keeping the sheets on the line on windy days! 

Sometimes it's hard to dry your sheets outside due to the wind. But I've discovered a secret to keeping the sheets on the line! #TexasHomesteader

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Beekeeping – Adding A Honey Super Box to the Beehive

by Texas Homesteader ~ 

Honeybees will fill a honey super box with honey. But how do you prepare the hives in advance of adding a honey super box or know when it’s time to place it on your beehives? Read on, dear friends.

Today I’m showing what we do to prepare to harvest that all-natural sweet honey we love!

It's time to add a honey super box to our beehives. The bees will fill it with the sweet honey we crave! #TexasHomesteader

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How To Get FREE Veggie Plants For Your Garden

by Texas Homesteader ~

My peppers and tomatoes were pretty much a bust this year due to our weird spring. You see, I planted seeds in my indoor greenhouse and placed that greenhouse at a south-facing window in my home like I always do.

But the constant cloudy weather this spring hampered a good germination. The few plants that did germinate were hardened off & placed in the garden. But you know peppers and tomatoes like a little more sun, a little more heat.

But I was recently able to replenish some of the vacant areas in my garden. It cost me ZILCH.  “How can you get free veggie plants for your garden?” you might wonder. I’m so glad you asked!

Tomato planting was a bust in the garden this year, will I do w/o tomatoes? See how I've outfitted my veggie garden with FREE plants #TexasHomesteader

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Wordless Wednesday: Beekeeper’s Delight

by Texas Homesteader ~

A honeybee foraging on blossoms is every beekeeper's delight. We can't wait for our first honey harvest! Stay busy, girl! #TexasHomesteader

Ever since beginning our beekeeping endeavor, I can no longer just merrily bounce across the yard.  Now I’m taking very deliberate steps to assure I don’t accidentally step on one of our honey-makers!

~TxH~

(You can see ALL our posts about beekeeping HERE)

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Vegetable Garden Update: May

by Texas Homesteader ~

Well, it’s been a pretty strange spring so far for us in NE Texas.  Pretty strange indeed!  Many areas all around us have received plenty of spring rains but for some reason it always seems to miss us here on the homestead.  Although May is our rainiest month of the year we have areas in our backyard that are pretty bare where the ground is parched & cracked.  Scary!  Hopefully that’s not a sign of things to come this year.  I’ve been watering with a 2-gallon watering can which takes a lot of time and doesn’t water as thoroughly.  But RancherMan set up the cistern pump for me today so I’ll be able to use that rainwater captured in the 18-ft deep cement cistern from now on.  If we get any rain at all in the coming weeks that cistern will fill back up!  With the cloudy & cooler weather we’ve had, the garden has really been slow in taking off.  But I’ve had some successes too.  C’mon along with me for a stroll through our garden.

With the cloudy & cooler weather we've had, the garden has been slow taking off. C'mon along with me for a stroll through our garden. #TexasHomesteader Continue reading