• Classes, Community Events, Education, Eliza, Things to Do

How to Build a Permaculture Garden Class, Part 1 & 2

This Saturday Eliza is going to be showing a small group of people how to install a permaculture garden by actually doing it — the best way to learn! If you prefer to learn hands-on, this class is going to cover a myriad of permaculture techniques and design elements. Even better is that in the process, we’ll be putting in…

• Appalachian History, Backyard Chickens, Beekeeping, Beneficial Animals, Beneficial Insects, Butterfly & Hummingbird Gardening, Canning, Classes, Community Events, Compost & Amendments, Cooking & Preserving, Cover Crops, Drying, Education, Eliza, Farms, Fermentation, Flowers, Fruits, Fungi, Garden Design, Garden DIY, Garden Philosophy, Garden Tour, General Philosophy, Heirlooms, Herbs/Spices, Hiking, Home Improvement, Hugelkultur, Insects, Intensive Space Gardening, Irrigation, Kitchen Gardens/Potagers, Lasagna Gardening, Microclimates, Miscellaneous Crops, Native Plants, Nature, Nature Study, Orchard Shrubs, Orchard Trees, Ornamental Edibles, Permaculture, Permaculture Projects, Pests & Diseases, Propagation, Root Crops, Seed Saving/Starting, Shade/Part Sun Edibles, Soil & Fertility, Things to Do, Trap Cropping, Vegetables, Vining Edibles, Wild Foraged Food, Winter Growing

How to Attend Hands-On Classes in Gardens, Kitchens, Forests, and Even a Late 1800’s Cabin

It’s here. The garden classes are in gardens, the cooking classes are in kitchens, the nature study is in forests, the raspberries taste like raspberries, and the snozzberries taste like snozzberries! I worked for weeks on the lesson plans for these hands-on classes, workshops, and tours and am so excited to finally roll them out. Click here for my entire…

• Backyard Chickens, Beekeeping, Classes, Education, Eliza, Flowers, Fruits, Kitchen Gardens/Potagers, Local Eggs, Local Honey, Nature, Ornamental Edibles, Permaculture, Soil & Fertility, Things to Do, Vegetables

How to Sign Up for February’s Classes

This month’s giveaway contest is over, congratulations to the winner, Christina Weit! Christina won four February classes. Today is gorgeous, has spring fever hit you? Eliza’s urban homesteading classes at the Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery start next week! Come learn about edible landscaping, backyard chickens, beekeeping basics, composting, and more… now is the time to get prepared for your…

• Artichokes - Globe, Aster/Lettuce Family, Kitchen Gardens/Potagers, Medicinal Plants, Microclimates, Ornamental Edibles, Plant in Fall, Plant in Spring, Ripe in Summer, Unusual Vegetables

How to Grow Globe Artichokes in the Southeast

This is a vegetable I am still experimenting with to get a formula that really works, but I thought I’d share my observations so far. Out of growing them collectively (but not consecutively) for about 5 years, I’ve harvested artichokes in two different seasons. One year they were nicely sized and tasty, the other year they were a little small…

• Beekeeping, Beneficial Insects, Butterfly & Hummingbird Gardening, Echinacea (Coneflower), Kitchen Gardens/Potagers, Medicinal Plants, Native Plants, Wild Foraged Food

How and Why Southerners Should Grow Echinacea

Okay, so most of us don’t need to be talked into growing this one. Think of echinacea (also called coneflower) as the indoor plumbing of the garden — we usually take it for granted. There are few flowers better at attracting beneficial wildlife than native plants, and there are few native plants showier than the echinaceas. Unlike many “native” plants…

• General Philosophy

How Not to Move to the West Coast

Why would you want to? Okay, maybe for the olives… I have nothing against the West Coast, nor am I promoting a competition. I just think we should give the United States some balance. If you want to make a big change, make it in a place where there needs to be a big change! Not that it is much…