Backyard Landscaping
Shade Garden Under a Tree: How to Layer Plants Without Hurting the Roots
A layered shade garden can turn the bare ground beneath a mature tree into one of the most attractive parts…
Farmsolo Homestead & Garden
Grow more. Preserve better. Live more independently.
Practical, easy-to-follow guides for backyard farming, food preservation, urban homesteading, and self-sufficient living—written for real homes, real gardens, and real beginners.
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Practical skills for a more self-sufficient home
Start with the part of homesteading that fits your space and goals today, then build from there.
Urban Homesteading
Grow food, raise small livestock, and build practical self-sufficiency in compact spaces.
Backyard Farming
Simple, hands-on guides for vegetables, chickens, quail, soil, water, and small-scale food production.
Canning & Food Preservation
Preserve the harvest with practical canning, fermenting, drying, pantry, and storage methods.
Permaculture Design
Design resilient gardens and homestead systems that work with natural patterns, not against them.
Fresh from the homestead
Latest Practical Guides
Clear steps, useful lessons, and hands-on ideas you can put to work in your garden, backyard, pantry, or small homestead.
Permaculture Design
Passive House Design With Thermal Mass, Natural Ventilation & Rainwater
A well-designed home can use sunlight, shade, thermal mass, airflow, and rainwater far more intelligently than a conventional building—but no…
Urban Homesteading
Off-Grid Earth Oven: What to Know Before Building a Barrel-Style
An off-grid earth oven can bake bread, pizza, vegetables, and other foods using wood instead of electricity—but the most important…
Backyard Landscaping
DIY Old Window Garden Trellis: A Beautiful Reclaimed Garden Idea
Old window frames can become a beautiful garden trellis instead of ending up in the trash. Once the glass is…
Permaculture Design
Attached Greenhouse With a Pond: 11 Things to Plan Before Building
An attached greenhouse with tropical plants, a small pond, and a garden path can feel like a private indoor jungle—but…
Backyard Landscaping
How to Build a Sunflower Room: A Living Garden Hideaway
A sunflower room is one of the simplest ways to turn an ordinary patch of lawn into a living summer…
Backyard Landscaping
How to Build a Reclaimed Brick Garden Path That Stays Level
A reclaimed brick garden path can make a new landscape look established from day one, but the bricks you see…
Canning & Food Preservation
Homemade Worcestershire-Style Sauce: Easy Refrigerator Recipe
If you run out of Worcestershire sauce, you can make a quick savory substitute with ingredients you may already have…
Permaculture Design
DIY Cinder Block Bench With Wood Beams: 9 Things to Plan First
A cinder block bench with warm wood beams can turn a plain patio into a simple outdoor seating area with…
Start simple
A practical path to self-sufficiency
You do not need a huge property or a perfect setup. Build useful skills in a sensible order and improve as you learn.
Grow Food
Begin with soil, containers, raised beds, herbs, vegetables, and small-space growing systems that match your conditions.
Preserve the Harvest
Learn safe, practical ways to can, dry, ferment, freeze, and store food so less of your harvest goes to waste.
Design Better Systems
Connect water, compost, animals, perennial plants, and garden zones so your homestead becomes easier to maintain over time.