I recognize that this is a very popular topic nowadays, but I figured I’d share my thoughts and experience too! I am going to let you know some ideas for your suburban homestead and talk about my experiences. I’ll start with gardening!
Pt1: Gardening
My first thought when pondering the idea of small scale homesteading is a garden. A garden can literally be anything you make it. Don’t have a yard? Get some pots and do a little window garden in your apartment! Have a tiny yard? Do pots, or a vertical garden! Have a big yard? Use it!
I’ve had a variety of housing types with a variety of options and I’ve always tried to have a garden. When I lived in a tiny apartment, I got a cute little plant stand and put it by the window with my herbs ( Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/4cjrwku ). When I’m growing herbs, my first choice is always basil because it is so easy and versatile. I am no expert on plants so you’ll have to do additional research and base that part on what you actually like to eat. That being said, I can tell you that most herbs are easy keepers and can grow as big or small as you want them making them the perfect start to your window garden.
By far my favorite garden so far has been my aquaponics garden. I had a massive basement in one of my houses where I set up three 65 gallon tanks of tilapia and had two pretty large grow beds with lights. The beauty of aquaponics is that it can be done on any scale. You can even get a beta fish and put it in a small tank with a grow bed for herbs or micro greens (Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/4aXsNN7) or you can get a four hundred gallon pond with an entire greenhouse! Aquaponics is an idea where the water circulates between a fish tank and a grow bed of sorts. The fish provide nutrients to the plants and the plants filter the water for the fish. It minimizes water and fertilizer usage which is great for the wallet and your time. Below is a picture of my little set up!
Have more space and don’t wanna do Aquaponics? Section a piece of your yard for a garden! If your HOA doesn’t allow you to use a section of yard for gardening or you just straight up don’t want to, you can always use some space to set up a garden in pots. For someone who moves around a lot, garden pots were my best friend. They can be a pain in the butt sometimes because they limit what you can grow based on the size of the pot, but this just means you have to be creative. If you choose the right sized pots and some high quality soil, you’ll have a productive garden. The beauty of gardening in pots is that you can spread your garden out as much as you want, use decorative pots to make your yard pretty, and then pack it up when you decide to move. Something that is somewhat alternative to pots but related, is a vertical garden. You can take the idea of growing plants in pots, but utilize the vertical space that you have. You can do this with pvc, a hanging shoe holder, hanging pots, just about anything, or you can purchase a premade vertical garden (Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/4cAEYkr). By stacking your plants, you minimize water and fertilizer usage as well as the space necessary to grow your veggies!
If your HOA allows you do have a raised garden bed or an in ground garden and you have the space for it, it may be the easiest option. I currently have two 8’x4’ garden beds that I built a greenhouse over and I am in love. Everything is all in one space and I can have all the companion plants that I want. Companion plants are those that grow well in close proximity to each other without limiting their nutrient uptake or space to grow. In ground or raised garden beds are by far the most versatile. Like me, you can build a greenhouse around them, you can put automatic watering lines to make your life easier, you can have companion plants, make it as pretty or messy as you see fit (assuming your HOA isn’t a stickler about this), and organize it in whatever shape fits your space. I can share how I made this greenhouse and what I grow in it in a future post!
Moral of the story is that a garden can be as big or as small as you are able to make it. As long as it is yours. A garden is a great way to begin your journey as a homesteader or just take on a cute hobby! You can grow a variety of different fruits, veggies, and/or herbs to add to your plate and share with your friends! In my next post, I’ll go over my experiences with vermicompost for fertilizing your garden and getting rid of kitchen scraps.
Comments