Welcome to Willowbottom

Your Complete Guide to Modern Homesteading & Sustainable Living

Homesteading isn’t about having the perfect setup. It’s about using what you have, right where you are. Whether you’re growing a full garden, tending a few windowsill herbs, or just trying to live a little more sustainably, you belong here.

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Thinking about starting a garden but not sure where to begin? Or looking for a better way to plan and manage what you’re already growing? Wherever you are in the process, this is your space to learn, stay organized, and enjoy the experience of growing your own food.

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Three Sisters Gardening Method

Easy Homemade Crusty Rolls

Five reasons you should raise quail instead of chickens

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Building Great Garden Soil

Understanding Your Growing Zone

Organic Pest Control

Growing your own food starts with knowing where to begin. Our free guide gets you started, and it connects you to a whole library of resources to grow your knowledge right alongside your garden.

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  • Kaolin clay is one of the simplest, most underrated tricks for protecting your fruit trees, and most people have never heard of it. This natural white clay creates a thin film over your trees and plants that deters pest insects, helps keep birds and squirrels off your fruit, and even protects against sunburn and heat stress in the heat of summer, and it's still safe for bees and the beneficial insects you want around. Quick tips: start spraying right after petal fall, coat until the tree looks white, reapply weekly for the first several weeks and after heavy rain, and keep your sprayer shaking so the clay stays mixed. Save this and give it a try in your own garden this season. Learn more about kaolin clay: https://garden.willowbottom.com/learn/remedies/kaolin-clay kaolin clay, how to use kaolin clay, organic pest control, natural pest control, fruit tree care, backyard orchard, food forest, homestead, homesteading, organic gardening, sustainable living, fruit tree pests, organic orchard, surround wp, garden tips, gardening for beginners, permaculture, grow your own food
  • Serviceberry season is here! If you've ever thought about adding a food-producing native plant to your yard, serviceberry should be on your list. Have you tried them? garden.willowbottom.com/plants/serviceberry serviceberry, serviceberry tree, native edible plants, food forest, edible landscaping, native plants, foraging, backyard foraging, what does serviceberry taste like, grow your own food, homestead garden, native fruit trees, permaculture, edible garden
  • This small purple-flowered plant you've been mowing over might be one of the most historically significant herbs in the world. Self-heal (Prunella vulgaris) is native to North America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and across every one of those regions, people independently arrived at the same uses for it. Without ever knowing about each other. Learn more in the Garden by Willowbottom app: garden.willowbottom.com Self heal plant, Prunella vulgaris, medicinal herbs, herbal medicine, backyard foraging, native plants, homestead herbs, pollinator plants
  • Most people have no idea these plants are causing serious ecological damage. I found three of them right here on our property. Invasive plants vary by region, so what's destructive in one state may not even grow in another. Your state's native plant society or local extension office are a great starting point, and the plant library inside our garden app is a solid place to start learning what actually belongs where you live. garden.willowbottom.com clickable link is in my bio. invasive plants, native plants, invasive species, garlic mustard, tree of heaven, bradford pear, butterfly bush, native plant garden, pollinator garden, ecological gardening
  • Throwback to when our quail chicks were just days old and already stealing the show. If you have ever thought about adding birds to your homestead but feel like chickens are too much, quail might be exactly what you are looking for. They are small, quiet, incredibly low maintenance, and they start laying eggs at around 6 to 8 weeks old. Chickens take months. Quail are also much easier to keep in a smaller space, which makes them a great option even if you are not on a big piece of land. Their eggs are smaller, yes, but they are rich, nutritious, and honestly just fun to collect. And if you have never seen a baby quail in person, just know that nothing on this homestead has ever been this small or this confident. The link in our bio has a more in-depth look. Have you ever kept quail, or is this your first time seeing these tiny little things up close? 🐣
  • Most people hear "invasive plants" and assume it just means something that spreads aggressively. But there's a lot more to the story than that. An invasive species is one that was introduced outside of its native range and, once it arrived, began pushing out the native plants that local insects, birds, and wildlife depend on. What makes this so tricky is that everything still looks green on the surface. The damage happens, in the background, while the ecosystem underneath starts to unravel. Some of these plants are beautiful, which is part of why they ended up in so many backyards and nurseries for years before anyone raised the alarm. This is part one. Part two is coming soon, and I'll be showing you what some of these invasive plants actually look like, including a few we found right here on our property, and walking you through what to do when you find them. Follow so you don't miss it. ⏩ Explore plant profiles in the Garden by Willowbottom app: garden.willowbottom.com Invasive plants, native plants, native plant garden, pollinator garden, backyard habitat, ecological gardening, homestead gardening, plant identification, native plant education, gardening for wildlife, sustainable gardening, zone 6 garden