Homestead and Hearthcraft Archives

Homestead and Hearthcraft, Morningbird's Garden

2019 Pepper Review

Morningbird

This year was to be the year of the pepper. I am afraid I am not very good at peppers. Our local weather conditions aren’t the best for flavorful peppers. We just don’t get a lot of heat out of them. My research suggests that I water them too much and that our weather is […]

Homestead and Hearthcraft, Morningbird's Garden

2019 Tomato Review

Morningbird

I tried a variety of tomatoes in our Great Lakes region garden this year. Here are the best and the worst.

Kitchen Witch Corner, Morningbird's Garden

Getting Started with a Simple Herb Garden

Morningbird

Gardening can be intimidating and, for those of us who do not have our own patch of dirt to tend, it can seem nearly impossible. But growing and using your own herbs is quite satisfying and can only improve our magical relationship with them. And if you don’t have your own patch of dirt, many […]

Morningbird's Garden

Growing Tomatoes

Morningbird

Tomatoes are among the most popular garden plants. Store bought tomatoes cannot compare to the flavor and texture of fresh, homegrown tomatoes, still warm from the sun and there are few vegetables (fruits!) more versatile in the kitchen. While tomatoes are a popular plant for beginners, they can present challenges if conditions aren’t just right. […]

Homestead and Hearthcraft, Morningbird's Garden

Growing Celery

Morningbird

A few years ago, I planted three celery plants I bought at the garden center in my herb garden and basically treated them like my herbs. They grew lots of nice leaves, but no stalks. They were good in soup and the rabbits liked them, but I wasn’t really excited. Last year, I decided to make […]

Homestead and Hearthcraft, Kitchen Witch Corner, Morningbird's Garden

Housewarming Houseplants

Morningbird

If you’re as bummed about the end of the gardening season as I am, you may be thinking of ways to brighten up your indoor surroundings and nothing says springtime like some green. Live plants instantly lift the energy in your home and some can also bring specific magical energy into your space. And if […]

Homestead and Hearthcraft

Raising Mealworms for the Birds

Morningbird

My step-lizard was 2 years old when my husband and I got married and my husband has always fed him mealworms as an occasional treat (he mostly ate veggies) so we have been familiar with mealworms for some time, though we’ve never dealt with them in quantity. Now that we have ducks and chickens and […]

Book of Shadows, Homestead and Hearthcraft, Kitchen Witch Corner

Simple Salves

Morningbird

Salves are soothing medicine for the skin in a convenient form. Nourishing oils thickened with waxes or butters and enhanced with the goodness of herbs and essential oils, salves can sooth irritated skin, bring healing to minor injuries and bring soothing warmth to aches and pains and congestion. All salves are based on the same […]

Holy Days, Homestead and Hearthcraft, Kitchen Witch Corner

First Harvest Reflections

Morningbird

The feast of the First Harvest is a feast of little bits. The garden is full of promise, but not full of ripe produce. We have some zucchini, an eggplant, maybe even a tomato, but hardly enough of anything to make a meal, but together, with a handful of herbs, couple eggs from the hens […]

Homestead and Hearthcraft, Morningbird's Garden

Seeding a Path

Morningbird

Today the weather was quite nice. Sunny and cool. I decided to let the birds wander loose and spend some time in the garden while I can. In truth, this spring-like weather can only last so long, so, even though I worked a 12-hour overnight shift last night and have another one tonight, I […]