DIY

Wild Blackberry Jam

    Does anything say summer more than Wild Blackberries? I don’t think so. We are lucky to have many wild vines here on The Butterfly Hill. This is the reciepe that I have used the most, after much trial and error. It’s very simple and easy to do with what ever amount of fresh summer fruit you have. It only has two ingredients, yea it takes… Read More »Wild Blackberry Jam

    Soil

    There are 6 basic types of soil. Sand, Clay, Slit, Peat, Chalk, and Loam. Sandy is fine and has great drainage. It tends to be acidic and doesn’t have many nutrients. If you have sandy soil adding peat, mulch and manure will add needed nutrients, and keep them from running off. Clay is dense and drys out in the summer. In the winter it holds… Read More »Soil

    All about Fall

      Join me on October 3rd at 10 am for a live event on Fall! We will go over the fall plant, seed collection, and harvest preservation. facebook.com/thebutterflyhill or learn more at The Butterfly Hill.com Learn more about our community

      Preserving the harvest

      So we’ve grown all this food, how do we preserve it? What do you do with all the zucchini, or tomatoes? I have found that you can only make so much zucchini bread, so what to do with all of the rest? I prefer canning over freezing. I find that my stores last longer when can. I resisted canning for the longest time. I remember… Read More »Preserving the harvest

      Canning

        I prefer canning over freezing for preserving food. I find that the veggies taste better and last longer. Not to mention, you know exactly what’s in the jar! First, get a giant pot of water on the stove to boil. Then wash all the jars and lids and rings. I wash more than I need, nothing is worse than having everything ready to go and… Read More »Canning

        Making Umeboshi

        Umeboshi are Japanese salted plums. We have three plum trees here on The butterfly Hill that had not been pruned in many years. Since I was learning what we have here on The Butterfly Hill first, I wanted to know how to take care of the trees and cure its fruit. After much research, it was decided, the trees needed to severely cut back to… Read More »Making Umeboshi

        Your gonna do WHAT?!

          Homesteading is not for sissy’s. The naysayers will be many. Don’t listen, don’t get discouraged. Follow your own heart and do what it takes to make your dreams come true. I have had so many failures in all my new adventures. But I don’t really think of them as failures. Simply a try. Try and Try Again! and again, until you succeed. Seeds are a… Read More »Your gonna do WHAT?!

          Saint John’s Wort plant

            St John’s Wort or the greek Hypericum Perforayum which means “Over a spirit”. Other common names are Goatweed, Klamath Weed, Tipton’s Weed and Rosin Rose. It is named after John the Baptist as it is harvested at midsummer on his Birthday. There are many mentions of the sun and the Solstic to St John’s Wort. As I look at and live with and learn to… Read More »Saint John’s Wort plant