Some of the stuff I grow on my homestead -- a post in honor of the equinox

As I was out working in the gardens I decided to take the time to photograph some (I could post these kinds of post for days and not cover everything I grow, especially as the seasons turn) of the stuff I grow. I found the best shots were up close as I have such a lush food forest it's so difficult to stand back and get a shot of a single green friend. As you can see from this first shot it's full on fall here, the leaves are coming down in piles. I cherish every last leaf, nothing leaves the property, especially leaves in the fall (natures way of replenishing). I also let all the twigs pile up and decompose too -- the only areas I remove the leaves and twigs from are the drive and pathways (not all the pathways though). The larger branches I pile up in the back 40 to use in hugel mounds.

Here is a cute shot of Kiwi, she is a black west indies duck, they are so amazing when young with iridescent blue/green/black feathers that eventually turn white, like Miss Kiwi has. These are great ducks, they are fast and can get away from predators rather easily, they can fly (she stays with the flock here though) and they lay lovely eggs. They are loud though, so not recommended in an urban setting unless your neighbors are cool.

The two shots above are of a Sambucus nigra Elderberry I planted a few years back, it is HUGE, so huge that I have a hard time getting to the top with my ladder. These berries are a savior in tincture during the winter months and one of the healers in my apothecary that I count on. I feel so lame doing post of stuff that a million others have, so check out elderberry tincture, it's easy to make and Powerful. Elderberry is a sacred Grandmother healer that everyone should be familiar with.

Oh how I love the perennial green friends. These particular yams are fabulous with no fuss, and not having to grow slips from last years harvest (as with other yams) which can put off your timing if not done in sync with your areas weather. I recommend all sorts of yams for people growing food to put back that stores well through long winters and is hearty. Total winners for you survivalist types and easy to grow in containers. ;)

I drink tea, not just herbal tea, I love leaded teas, gimme some caffeine in the morning please. About three years ago I planted both large and small leaf Camellia Sinensis (above two shots, one of each kind) and they are doing great -- in the mean time I learned how to harvest and prepare tea, black, green, white -- what a pleasure it is to grow your own caffeinated tea and add the other ingredients to taste, like Bergamot (which I also grow) for that Earl Grey experience. If you can grow Camellia sinensis and love leaded tea I highly recommend it.

Above is one of the many Ginger plants I have in containers, I showed this one as it is sending out a flower, how great is that? I like to companion plant stuff in containers that have shallow roots like German chamomile. Ginger is so easy to grow and it thrives in containers. You need Ginger in your apothecary, not just for spice but because it's a powerful medicine. I can not live without sister Ginger on my side, another proven healer.

Above is a funny tree, very Dr. Seuss, it is a strawberry tree. It is named that as it's edible fruits look like strawberries. This one is about three years old, so it is a slow grower.

I wanted to include the beauty of my mature English walnut tree. This thing is productive and produces a bumper crop every year -- if anyone has tricks concerning the processing of the nuts I would love to hear them. The walnut tree is another powerful medicinal friend in the garden and I encourage you to look up that information. This green friend offers food, fiber dye, and medical assistance, truly a Sacred tree. I grow many wonderful things under this tree, from horseradish to Szechuan pepper and comfrey, and tons of flowering bulbs for the bees. *if you look you can see my old rv, I call her The Beast. I lived in her before getting this house in the wilds of Mt.Hood, she is my bugout beast now.

Again, this is why shots from a distance are difficult -- just beyond the fence is a young heartnut tree, one of two (there needs to be a male and female to get nuts), it is about three years of age, I just love these nuts.

The above two shots are of a young yellowhorn (nut). These grow well in my zone so I thought to try it, we shall see. I do look forward to nuts in the future as it seems to be happy and thriving.

Above is one of three Bay Laurel trees I have planted around the house. First off I love the taste of bay in my red sauces and then there is the powerful medicinal and Magical properties of the bay that prompted me to plant three in strategic places. Sister Bay is a potent protector. ;)

The next two shots above are of a Korean bush cherry. These are tart little cherries and this bush puts off thousands of them from the first year planted (unless there is a blight). Awesome bush, it does rather look like a scrub bush but it earns it's keep, trust me.

I can not live without fennel in my life, what a wonderful companion, she refreshes your breath, aids in digestion and adds spice to your cooking and canning, plus she is so elegant. Mine is heavy with rain currently. Every time I go past her I stop and have a few of those sprigs to nibble on.

Okay, another hard shot here... that is a weeping yaupon holly and it has the most caffeine of any plant, more than matte I hear, in fact, it is comparable to matte. Ya'll know I love my morning tea and this is just another of those redundancies I have at my cottage (homestead). This tree is beautiful and the leaves are as easy as can be to make some leaded tea with -- Another option to consider if you like caffeine and also like to know where your nourishment comes from.

Above are two paw paw trees (they need a male and female to produce fruit) I planted together. I have seen this done on a reservation in the midwest, this is my first time trying this so we shall see.

I love grapes. <3 This is the passage way to the drive and then the back 40.

These pepper plants are FOUR years old, they produce all year for me and I find that amazing! I do bring them in for the winter, still, I've never had this happen before. They are family. lol

Big o'l patio crystal.

One of the tasty olive trees I grow, they do over winter here which is awesome, but with the cooling trend it's been hit and miss, so now I have them in containers and bring them in for the cold months.

Above is filbert, I have a grove of them and just love them madly as they are truly my favorite nut, especially roasted. mmm

Another hard shot to capture. Above is my three year old Saturn peach and boy oh boy are these peaches delicious, like sugar water. Another favorite green friend.

This (above) is a little WitchHazel that is two years old -- one must always grow a bit of this sister for the apothecary. ;)

This one above is just for that Fall light that is so pretty.

I love to plant onions and garlic in containers, this is so easy from beginning to end -- I will never plant them in the ground again, give it try and see how you like it.

I have mature kiwi vines (above) on an arbor and I just love them and the fruit.

And lastly for the day, this is another Elder I planted a couple years back. I plan on planting more Elder I love them so.

I realize I do not post homestead stuff much, but I have a fully running setup here and have for years so it's not as exciting to me as all the art stuff that is truly something from my soul -- the homestead is just my way of life which seems less exciting, especially compared to some of you other folks out there that I follow. I feel like I'm just a messy garden girl as so many of you have such manicured looking setups. I do love my cottage and I love the look of the wild here so I'm not comparing, I'm just saying it does not photograph as well as it just looks a mess -- but it's productive.

Thank you for spending some time with me. <3