Planting myself with a book or laptop, tuna juice and patience is what has worked for me. I don't even reach for the cat. I let the cat's natural curiosity do the work for the most part. They will come to you if you are patient and have food. I mean, it looks like fabka already wants to stay so half the battle is won I think.
Jup, don't move, don't look and make sure she sees you leaving some sweet munching for her. If she is comfortable being around you, you can offer her something real good like fish or pate. Just avoid eye contact, sudden movements or trying to toch her.
I absolutely love you riffing of like this - it's a nice addition and/or break from the norm :) For Fabka - Walking and standing are no go for socializing strays. Best thing is to sit as low to the ground as possible, and chill out with a book or something, with some yummy food next to you. Don't reach for her, let her get used to the safety of eating next to you, and build the trust that you provide food. You can speak to her softly and connect your voice with the food, and move forward from there. Fabka is already willingly close around you, so as someone else says here, too - half the battle is already won. Now it's time to sit down low and let her come to you and associate you with food. Food is comfort for most animals, but especially a stray.
It’s nice having a variety of types of videos. We all love the banter between you and Jacques but I like the tours, the planning, seed starting videos, the hopping from host to host across the country, and of course the educational how-to’s. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Just keep feeding her and give her space to feel comfy. You can always sit nearby while she eats and just kinda chill so she feels ok with you being nearby. Occasionally just offer your hand to her so she can sniff if she wants. This is what I did with some of the strays around my home until I finally got a head bonk or face rub on my hand. ☺️
This is what I did with my feral, Thomas, who looked like a mini lion. He would hiss at me regularly when I put food out for him, though he never swiped at me, then one evening he showed up to help me arrange some Christmas bouquets on an outdoor table, laying on the greens, etc., and finally he just jumped up on the garden swing and head butted my chest with a purr like a 747. After that I would find him sitting outside my front door at 6:00 a.m. waiting for his kibbles.
This is how I have befriended all our rescues, Cats, pigs and even chickens! Just sit by while they eat and give them space. Eventually they associate you with food and even start to look for you
Best advice i heard for "how to start a homestead" was to figure out where you want the structures first. Its easy to move a garden bed to a new spot.... not easy to move a greenhouse or shop if you dont like where it is haha cant wait to see your garden transform yet again 🎉
I think you will love your chipper/shredder. Everytime I prune I keep a pile to dry out a little and then shred everything and put it all around my fruit trees. It's a wonderful tool. Easy to use. I like tools that I csn operate myself without asking for help. I think your garden will be great with all the pathways. Excited to see how everything turns out. Florida Gardener Zone 9a
Love the idea of flagstone path ways. I vote move the asparagus bed. There’s no reason to be unhappy with something in the garden. It may be a risk, but it seems worth it to go ahead and do it now. You’re doing a big reset anyway. ❤
I grew asparagus from seed in small pots and potted them up each year until they were big enough to have a 40cm diameter pot of their own. They can totally be moved without issues.
For the kitty: there's a lot of great advice here already about patience and time and food, but don't underestimate the power of the slow blink! Cats watch your body language, but also your facial expressions, and a slow blink (you can see examples on most contented cats) and relaxed or squinched eyes will be less confrontational and more calming.
Definitely suggest looking into permaculture orchards. I have started planting veggies and perennials in between my trees along the row to make lots of edible rows. Artichoke, herbs, rhubarb, etc.
The structures in the garden are the backbone or foundation for any garden. sheds, greenhouse, raised beds, paths, compost bays, ponds, get all these correct and think about how you will use it and your garden will always be a success. Gardens are always evolving though sometimes you dont realise how you will use a space until you have grown in it a couple of years. Great video Kev.
Always nice to get to walk around informally with you, and I appreciate how candid you are about your garden regrets or what you wish you might’ve done differently - we ALL have those! That said, always here for your Kevin & Jacques buddy comedy. You two are the perfect complement to each other in gardening perspectives and personality. Keep up the great work!
Treats and trying to stay seated or kneeling when you’re near her will help for sure! She will eventually realize you don’t want to hurt her and the treats will make you her friend. I wouldn’t try to pet her until she gives you a head but, that’s how I got my cat!
I agree garden pathways are a must and add charm to your homestead. I planned out my garden using the cottage style. I am looking forward to this process.😊
They weren’t mistakes! They were learning opportunities! Fobca is cute: the best way to befriend her is to let her see you feed her and mostly leave her alone. Cats also see squinting your eyes as a sign of friendship. Squint at her from a distance! (My mom just sold five acres of land-where I grew up. It had two acres of woods, though and is in Minnesota so gardening is very seasonal so not a fit for you!)
Food and patience. Having cat food/treats and just sitting down and relaxing while dropping pieces and mostly ignoring her so she doesn’t feel overwhelmed by your attention. Over time she’ll get more comfy and you’ll be able to feed her by hand. Holding onto the food and giving it to her yourself will really signify that you’re a pal, you have the good stuff, and you’re not trying to grab her or hurt her.
My adult son has befriended a couple of feral young cats where he lives. And he did it by making a little clicking sound every time he brought out food for them, and now they respond to that sound whether or not they are hungry. They rub up against his legs and let him pet them, but no one else in this area can get anywhere close to them, lol. You just have to be patient and give cats a lot of space, but just like humans, a lot depends on the cat's personality, whether they let you get close.
Tuna, patience, and distance with the stray. You're well on the way to befriending that kitty. Good job! Thanks for this revisioning perspective . . . my backyard has fallen into disrepair over my working and traveling years, I'm trying to re-think what I would most enjoy when I start working on it again.
Have gotten some great idea out of this one. Never thought about pathways - jus dropped stuff in pots and raised beds without thinking about how to get to them or the sun/shade they are getting /giving. Thanks for the food for thought!!!
I love all your videos, the homestead, main channel, and Jacque's as well. I have been watching for a few years, and you were my inspiration to start my own gardening channel.
I've been waiting for you to plant some bougainvillea in the homestead! You've talked about your grandma in the past in your old apartment and since you moved to your homestead, I've been keen to see if you'll keep the bougainvillea love going! So happy to see this!🌹
I started my raised bed garden this spring. The paths are lawn as wide as a lawnmower. I made sure I could keep the grass down between the beds. I use the grass clippings as mulch and in my compost. I didn't want anything permanent, like stone or gravel since I'm renting. My garden will hopefully grow in abundance over the years just like your have.
In SDV every year when it comes around to winter I like to redo a lot of the paths & growing areas around my farm, based on what it has been like to traverse over the year, access to storage, wells, animal chores, etc. It is surprising how well this also applies irl like in this vid lol
Oh so fun! You’ve done an amazing job with your 1/3rd of an acre! 5 or so acre would be a dream! We’re currently on the same boat, and we’re only 1 year in but feeling like we’re outgrowing our 1/3rd here too! Thx for bringing us along!
I love this time of year. All the ideas flowing as to what revisions and edits to make in the garden. Pathways are definitely the way to go, they're not only practical but help to define the space(s). Thanks for sharing!
Gardens are always in transition because plants grow and what you want to do in your garden changes over time. You will always want to experiment. That’s who you are. Sometimes making paths with wood chips offers flexibility as your garden evolves, and they can serve as compost too. Enjoy the journey.
I enjoy watching you walking around and chatting to us about your plans. Is there a video with an aerial view of the homestead, as it sometimes hard to follow the layout. Keep up with the amazing content, it always inspires me to get out into my garden.
This is such a great video , and a perfect way to begin planning. Do a birds eye view sketch plan as well as a walking plan. This is how we learned how to landscape a garden when I became a Master Gardener. Good luck and keep us posted.
Hello Kevin i been following you since the last property i been working hard in my yard and like you i been changing my food forest around adding more trees and planters for my vegetables area look forward to seeing your new vision of the walkways
I appreciate all your content. With and without the edits. You provide education and entertainment all in one. I just bought my first home and I'm trying to plan out our backyard garden now. It's small but I can't wait to get everything put together and set up.
I know you get it a lot, but I wanted to say thank you. Your video's during 2020 got into gardening. Zone 6b suberbia and yet I've expanded every year. Couple vertical gardens, several raised beds, pots w/ blueberries... Now looking at Apple trees in the future. It's been amazing so thank you for helping me find this hobby!
We had a major reset as well. With a severe drought and consecutive days over 100 I lost so much of my garden. We now have a more DROUGHT TOLERANT garden with deep mulch and water catchment. I think renovations and redesigns should take about 2 to 5 years. You don't know how you will use a space until ineffency or adversity forces you to do something.
This is such good information. It gives the rest of us an opportunity to try new things without the fear of failing. If it works, great. If it doesn't, try something different. The point is to have fun and find your passion. Kevin, you're a rock star! ... and Jaques too.
Love these video with you showing us updates making on the homestead. Perfect timing I've been redoing a huge flower garden bed to make space for small food forest which would be more productive. Thanks for posting all your ideas sound great & very sensible. Question: for the screened in porch will you also add a screen door on the entry side near the garage? Or perhaps single panel french door? That area is very nice large for nice outside eating and work. You need a man cave on your next property. Yes, time for a move you've truly outgrown this space not only for personal but professional. A larger property would allow you to continue to teach us more with the rest of your staff. Such a success story.
This was great! I love hearing your real time thoughts on process and progress. Definitely food for thought when we think about landscaping out own backyard. Keep it coming!
YES! to continuing this style of video. It is a nice compliment to an outstanding channel. As for the cat, talk to her. Tell her what you are doing like it is a video for her and just do what you are doing. She will see your routines are not a threat and will get comfortable with you around. Eventually, on her time, she may approach.
Rain water in some of your larger areas can also be managed with swales. They would be placed on contour and off of the mural wall to help percolate water into the soil where need 12:57 ed. The time to increase awareness of food forests (including swales), fruit guilds, and permaculture is now! I would love to see a major gardening channel bring these concepts to the masses.
I really love watching you and Jacque working together but I also like the walkthrough and pre planning videos too. I'm constantly dreaming up what I want to do but sadly I'm in a suburban backyard with limited room, time, and resources. My goal for this year is plant less and plant with intention. I tend to crowd too many things into a tiny space and some things just get taken over by others. I really should be figuring out my pathways too so I can plan out where I want things on the future.
I like getting to see "here's a mistake a made" and "now that I know this, I'll do that". Homesteading is an iterative process, and this puts that on full display
Kevin, I know those aren't your cats but I have a pet peeve, {pun intended) about outdoor cats. My daughter and her family have cats that they let roam outside. I take care of her garden. This summer I rescued two baby birds and two baby bunnies the cats captured. I convinced my family that cats need to stay indoors. I'm just sharing this story as a PSA. Even well fed cats love to hunt. I really like our wild birds and song bird populations are plummeting, due in part to cat predation. Thanks for all you do! Looking forward to the garden upgrades!
I know I'm not the only viewer with children, one thing yall might want to look into is turning some of the beautiful botanical interest pictures into a coloring book..
You’ve done a wonder with that space. Gardening is definitely a learning journey, one which you will always evolve in. But you have to start somewhere and garner experience. And, sometimes, the place you want to plant something, isn’t the place where it wants to grow. Looking forward to seeing the finished pathways…and envying your weather. Woke up to snow, 32 degrees Celsius feeling like 26.6. 🌧 I have gotten into the habit of setting out holy basil plants around our deck and they do seem to keep mosquitos under control. As for your cute little Bopka, (cute name btw,) she’s definitely into you!!😉 one day when you least expect it, she’ll come up to you purring and rubbing against you. Chances are good she’s intimidated by all the activity and your walking around. Soon you’ll be sitting on your lovely memorial bench cat in lap!
Absolutely crushing it! Haven't checked in on these vids in ages. So excited for how far the homestead has come, and how passionate you are about continuing to improve it :)
I would move the asparagus now, and get it over with. You'll have a new crop sooner, and you won't regret leaving it where you resent it. It's your space, and you can make it pleasing to you!
It's good that you are putting in the paths now and not before, because you know how you're using the space now. If you put them in before, you'll end up with paths you don't use and desired paths that show up where they should have been. This happens so often on University campuses that there is a campus that waited years on purpose for desire paths to be formed naturally before paving over them.
You did your best with the information and resources you had at the time. I enjoy your journey very much, it’s all about trial and error. If you find a bigger property make sure you pack Jacques with you. I love you both, and together better.
Love your space. You've done so much with your 1/3 of an acre. Im in the process of ripping out a large part of my blacktop driveway to create about 800 sq feet more of backyard space (and gardening). Coming up with the hardscape plan is hard (and expensive) but so important. I really like your ideas. Ohhh and a 5 acre plot would be amazing!! Good luck!
I love the variety of videos, they are all great! Sometimes I'm ready to learn and work, sometimes I love the touring and brainstorming, and the epic screwing around is hilarious 🙃 I think screening in your patio is an outstanding idea, especially as you all do so much work out there...maybe reconfigure some seating since you'll have more "walls" Time to bust out the oversized sketch pad, Kev!
I would love a full path planning video. It’s something it’s easy to forget. What are you using to make the paths? There so many options; temporary or permanent
I would love to see someone walk through your neighborhood and ask the neighbors how they react to being in the Epic Garden neighborhood. Have more people upped there garden game?
Yes to bougainvillea! When we lived in Hawaii many years ago it grew wild and rampant up all of the very tall banks along the highway - absolutely beautiful.
Yes, I like these off the cuff videos. Feels like your just talking garden with another garden friend. Keep the education ones coming too, but these are great sprinkled in.
Hey good morning! I am so looking forward to seeing how this turns out. I too have had that great idea to redo my garden. I am not sure what to do about it. I have been looking in Pinterest and TH-cam for ideas.
I think you had to settle on a few things before pathways went in. You have changed things up quite a bit. Now that you know better how you will use it, it’s time for paths. BTW, am still wondering what the plan for the hell strip. I am thinking various native milkweed in the center with California and Bread Seed Poppies. Super xeric, colorful and various height. IMO
Great video. I think your ideas are good. Gardening is about trying new things sometimes when others didn't work out. I agree on the walkways. They invite you to wander through. I will be watching your progress. Have a great Thanksgiving holiday. I'd like to see what ya'll have for your Thanksgiving dinner.
Thanks for sharing the reset. I was thinking about asparagus. Now I'm re-thinking it 😅 As for Fabka, other great advice here. Patience and maybe a little dried Catnip in the areas where they're welcome.
Some cats are just visiting several homes as a guest & return to their owners (could be micro chipped/ferral). Cats have a territory they walk about. But If the home they lived in has a changed environment, they will look for a new home. Happened with three of my cats over a 10yr period in two different suburbs (bred by me). 1st one, he went to our elderly lady neighbour left of the property & 2nd one went to neighbour on the right, a little old boy would play & talk to her & she would come back & visit her cat sisters. The 3rd one, we drove & saw her at the end of our st. & a young girl was sitting on her manicured lawn patting the cat & it looked really happy there. I was glad they all found loving homes that made them happy, which made me happy too.😻
Fun seeing you plan out the potential for your garden! I have a lot of empty space to fill on our property so have been prioritizing what I want to do first, so helpful to hear your process. I did order a couple copies of your new book, excited to read it in the spring!
A series of swales would help to contain and infiltrate water within the test garden bed area. Deep mulch these and they can double as walkways between the planting rows. Is there a way to build a swale to direct water towards the orchard? I would definitely remember to consider the full mature size on the trees and allowing them optimzl sun exposure and air flow for fruit production as you go forward with the overhauls!! Best of luck! Also, much prefer these style videos vs the bantering between you and Jacques. Can't wait to see what you have planned and how it improves the use of your urban homestead!!
I wish my man would be more interested in my gardening projects ! If I had him on the "team" we could accomplish so much more ! Its mainly a one-woman show right now , I'd do just about anything to have him feel more passionately about our yard ! Its definitely my happy place , I want it to be his happy place too !
make sure you leave enough space for those paths. it may not seem like you need much but having a bit more really makes the epxerienc eof walking through so much easier. and just remember, you're going to be using those pathways like 100s of 100s of times per day, you want it to be a great expeerience.
Would love to see a video of you vs Jaques picking like 5 ingredients each. Either from one garden or from your respective ones, and having the other try to make a dish from them.
Btw if you want to get crazy that grape trellis system is also great for espalier. I did something very similar for some pluots at home and it's been amazingly fun
Ultimately, to have a space feel coherent it needs a consistent visual language, be it through shape, line quality, texture, color. At the same time it shouldn’t be uniform either: theme and variation is how we refer to it. If you decide to use the natural paths as the guide I think that would be a great spring board for the design. Burle Marx was a celebrated modernist landscape artist who used that approach when designing public parks.
Could you do a video of how to Olán what type of veg/flowers to put on a bed for beginners? My new place has a nice bed outside and not sure what to put on it. I been growing herbs on planters, but I want to take it a step further.
hi kevin 🤗 great ideas for the homestead renovation. looking forward to seeing the progress and results. ive overhauled my small backyard garden for the 4th time as i try to decide what works best for the food im growing, how i want to access it and the eye appeal. 5 acres would be great for you and your team. i hope to own that much land myself, but in southern California, where could I find it for less than an arm and two legs 🤣😂 tfs
Cute kitty!!! Our cat was a neighborhood stray that showed up at our house one day. One of the things that worked was Cat Crack Catnip (sold on Amazon for around 12-13 bucks, and it’s good quality from Canada). Woah, did I just become a catnip plug? Hmmm. Also, we bought cat toys and a cat-friendly food bowl so he wouldn’t get whisker fatigue. That plus some good wet food, crunchy dry food, and the occasional salmon from the grill, and he was ours.
I garden with cats too. =) Set out food and sit down nearby so you seem smaller and more relaxed. Then wait for a bit and just hang out while they eat so they associate you with the treat. Wet food and Churu treats, which you can feed directly once a cat knows you really well, otherwise squeeze onto a paper plate so they can lap it up. Churu is like a jackpot treat to them. Also, slowly blinking is a sign to cats that you trust them enough to close your eyes and saying you are not a threat to them. You can also give them a nice place to lay. I have some little beds around and in the rainy season I build a little hut out of storage bins and cut a small hole on each end so they can get in and out and have an escape in case something comes in after them. You can put straw in the hut for a nice warm and dry bedding. Also, San Diego has a lot of good options for TNR, or Trap Neuter Return. If you feed cats then more may start to come and they will reproduce like crazy and the males loved to spray my garden plants. I have not had any trouble with that since. San Diego Humane Society, Chula Vista Animal Care Facility and Feral Cat Coalition are all great and provide trap rental, free spay and neuter and will also deworm, vaccinate and provide any medical attention if needed. They will also provide you with tips to catch and house them for the procedure and for their care in general. Thank you for all the great gardening advice and wishing you and your cat friends all the best!
I love listening to both you and Jacques and all the other people you invite into your videos. Each persons opinion and style is interesting to me as well as educational. As for the cat, in time she will come around. Maybe sit a few feet away from her food fir bit and each day inch your way closer. Get her a toy. I hope you do get larger land because you would love it.
Great idea to screen in the porch... hang curtains/shade fabric for privacy or windy days. The pride of Madeira is small now but they get huge (like Jacques). Won't leave much of a path at top of your pond?🤔 How do you keep fabka from jumping onto coop? 🐔 Move the asparagus. Design the space you'll love. Love the content in which ever format Kevin. Just keep it coming!
Awww, what a pretty cat. We used to feed a feral cat. He was beautiful and never did get too comfy to let us pet him. We just respected his comfort level and he'd come close enough to play with a cat toy I had tied on a string to a stick. He loved it. :) Also, we'd put his food dish in a slightly larger dish of water so the ants and slugs would stay out. Plus it gave him fresh water too.
Planting myself with a book or laptop, tuna juice and patience is what has worked for me. I don't even reach for the cat. I let the cat's natural curiosity do the work for the most part. They will come to you if you are patient and have food. I mean, it looks like fabka already wants to stay so half the battle is won I think.
Tuna juice? Fauxbka? You a cat?
Mmm.. tuna juice 😻
@@dmk_gamestuna 🌵🌵??
Glad I read this comment till the end😂😂
Jup, don't move, don't look and make sure she sees you leaving some sweet munching for her. If she is comfortable being around you, you can offer her something real good like fish or pate. Just avoid eye contact, sudden movements or trying to toch her.
I absolutely love you riffing of like this - it's a nice addition and/or break from the norm :)
For Fabka -
Walking and standing are no go for socializing strays. Best thing is to sit as low to the ground as possible, and chill out with a book or something, with some yummy food next to you. Don't reach for her, let her get used to the safety of eating next to you, and build the trust that you provide food. You can speak to her softly and connect your voice with the food, and move forward from there. Fabka is already willingly close around you, so as someone else says here, too - half the battle is already won.
Now it's time to sit down low and let her come to you and associate you with food. Food is comfort for most animals, but especially a stray.
Excellent advice😸
It’s nice having a variety of types of videos. We all love the banter between you and Jacques but I like the tours, the planning, seed starting videos, the hopping from host to host across the country, and of course the educational how-to’s. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Thank you :)
Yes, I agree! Love the variety!
Agree!
100% agree!!
Old adage "variety breeds contentment"... or something like that
I think your self analysis and discussion is extremely valuable and you should keep bringing any mistakes up and discuss. Helps everyone
Just keep feeding her and give her space to feel comfy. You can always sit nearby while she eats and just kinda chill so she feels ok with you being nearby. Occasionally just offer your hand to her so she can sniff if she wants. This is what I did with some of the strays around my home until I finally got a head bonk or face rub on my hand. ☺️
This is what I did with my feral, Thomas, who looked like a mini lion. He would hiss at me regularly when I put food out for him, though he never swiped at me, then one evening he showed up to help me arrange some Christmas bouquets on an outdoor table, laying on the greens, etc., and finally he just jumped up on the garden swing and head butted my chest with a purr like a 747. After that I would find him sitting outside my front door at 6:00 a.m. waiting for his kibbles.
This is how I have befriended all our rescues, Cats, pigs and even chickens! Just sit by while they eat and give them space. Eventually they associate you with food and even start to look for you
Space for her to feel "comfrey" why not?
rabies and etc, guys, be safe
Best advice i heard for "how to start a homestead" was to figure out where you want the structures first. Its easy to move a garden bed to a new spot.... not easy to move a greenhouse or shop if you dont like where it is haha cant wait to see your garden transform yet again 🎉
Couldn't agree more. Big structures first
Move the Greenhouse?@@epichomesteading
Having those paths will be so nice! Since you know your walking paths and have been living in it for a few years it will be a solid design.
I hope so!
I think you will love your chipper/shredder. Everytime I prune I keep a pile to dry out a little and then shred everything and put it all around my fruit trees. It's a wonderful tool. Easy to use. I like tools that I csn operate myself without asking for help. I think your garden will be great with all the pathways. Excited to see how everything turns out.
Florida Gardener Zone 9a
Florida zone 9b 👍
Love the idea of flagstone path ways. I vote move the asparagus bed. There’s no reason to be unhappy with something in the garden. It may be a risk, but it seems worth it to go ahead and do it now. You’re doing a big reset anyway. ❤
Good call. I'll be doing it!
Yes, and it's early enough in your establishment plans for the property over the long-haul.
Yes! I have been debating the same thing but I need the courage to move the asparagus for my happiness 😂
Asparagus crowns, at the right time of year, can be easily moved. I wish I'd taken my Asparagus crown when I sold my house (family court)
I grew asparagus from seed in small pots and potted them up each year until they were big enough to have a 40cm diameter pot of their own. They can totally be moved without issues.
For the kitty: there's a lot of great advice here already about patience and time and food, but don't underestimate the power of the slow blink! Cats watch your body language, but also your facial expressions, and a slow blink (you can see examples on most contented cats) and relaxed or squinched eyes will be less confrontational and more calming.
Definitely suggest looking into permaculture orchards. I have started planting veggies and perennials in between my trees along the row to make lots of edible rows. Artichoke, herbs, rhubarb, etc.
The structures in the garden are the backbone or foundation for any garden. sheds, greenhouse, raised beds, paths, compost bays, ponds, get all these correct and think about how you will use it and your garden will always be a success. Gardens are always evolving though sometimes you dont realise how you will use a space until you have grown in it a couple of years. Great video Kev.
Always nice to get to walk around informally with you, and I appreciate how candid you are about your garden regrets or what you wish you might’ve done differently - we ALL have those! That said, always here for your Kevin & Jacques buddy comedy. You two are the perfect complement to each other in gardening perspectives and personality. Keep up the great work!
We'll be doing more of that - trust!
Treats and trying to stay seated or kneeling when you’re near her will help for sure! She will eventually realize you don’t want to hurt her and the treats will make you her friend. I wouldn’t try to pet her until she gives you a head but, that’s how I got my cat!
I agree garden pathways are a must and add charm to your homestead. I planned out my garden using the cottage style. I am looking forward to this process.😊
Love the off the cuff vids! It's amazing what you've done with only 1/3 acre in the city. You give me so many great ideas & inspiration. Thank you!
They weren’t mistakes! They were learning opportunities!
Fobca is cute: the best way to befriend her is to let her see you feed her and mostly leave her alone. Cats also see squinting your eyes as a sign of friendship. Squint at her from a distance!
(My mom just sold five acres of land-where I grew up. It had two acres of woods, though and is in Minnesota so gardening is very seasonal so not a fit for you!)
Food and patience. Having cat food/treats and just sitting down and relaxing while dropping pieces and mostly ignoring her so she doesn’t feel overwhelmed by your attention. Over time she’ll get more comfy and you’ll be able to feed her by hand. Holding onto the food and giving it to her yourself will really signify that you’re a pal, you have the good stuff, and you’re not trying to grab her or hurt her.
My adult son has befriended a couple of feral young cats where he lives. And he did it by making a little clicking sound every time he brought out food for them, and now they respond to that sound whether or not they are hungry. They rub up against his legs and let him pet them, but no one else in this area can get anywhere close to them, lol. You just have to be patient and give cats a lot of space, but just like humans, a lot depends on the cat's personality, whether they let you get close.
Tuna, patience, and distance with the stray. You're well on the way to befriending that kitty. Good job!
Thanks for this revisioning perspective . . . my backyard has fallen into disrepair over my working and traveling years, I'm trying to re-think what I would most enjoy when I start working on it again.
Have gotten some great idea out of this one. Never thought about pathways - jus dropped stuff in pots and raised beds without thinking about how to get to them or the sun/shade they are getting /giving. Thanks for the food for thought!!!
I love all your videos, the homestead, main channel, and Jacque's as well. I have been watching for a few years, and you were my inspiration
to start my own gardening channel.
Well then make sure you cultivate the like button🤣@user-dj8yb6if8r
I've been waiting for you to plant some bougainvillea in the homestead! You've talked about your grandma in the past in your old apartment and since you moved to your homestead, I've been keen to see if you'll keep the bougainvillea love going! So happy to see this!🌹
I started my raised bed garden this spring. The paths are lawn as wide as a lawnmower. I made sure I could keep the grass down between the beds. I use the grass clippings as mulch and in my compost. I didn't want anything permanent, like stone or gravel since I'm renting. My garden will hopefully grow in abundance over the years just like your have.
Your Stardew Valley mindset is paying off. Can't wait to see the results. I'm going through a garden reset as well.
You know me too well
What girlfriend did you choose
In SDV every year when it comes around to winter I like to redo a lot of the paths & growing areas around my farm, based on what it has been like to traverse over the year, access to storage, wells, animal chores, etc. It is surprising how well this also applies irl like in this vid lol
Ah, my people
lol im using dont starve together for the same thing :D
This type of content is awesome, I love seeing what you would change and how you would do it. Gives the rest of us the boost to adapt our spaces too
Absolutely love to hear it
Oh so fun! You’ve done an amazing job with your 1/3rd of an acre! 5 or so acre would be a dream! We’re currently on the same boat, and we’re only 1 year in but feeling like we’re outgrowing our 1/3rd here too!
Thx for bringing us along!
I love this time of year. All the ideas flowing as to what revisions and edits to make in the garden. Pathways are definitely the way to go, they're not only practical but help to define the space(s). Thanks for sharing!
Gardens are always in transition because plants grow and what you want to do in your garden changes over time. You will always want to experiment. That’s who you are. Sometimes making paths with wood chips offers flexibility as your garden evolves, and they can serve as compost too. Enjoy the journey.
I enjoy watching you walking around and chatting to us about your plans. Is there a video with an aerial view of the homestead, as it sometimes hard to follow the layout. Keep up with the amazing content, it always inspires me to get out into my garden.
I'm so incredibly happy to see fabka! I think just continuing to feed her will do the trick. Churos or treats by hands are a great next step!
Word of advice, from experience: Trap that kitty and get her spayed, or you'll have a whole lot more kitties in no time!
This is such a great video , and a perfect way to begin planning. Do a birds eye view sketch plan as well as a walking plan. This is how we learned how to landscape a garden when I became a Master Gardener. Good luck and keep us posted.
Hello Kevin i been following you since the last property i been working hard in my yard and like you i been changing my food forest around adding more trees and planters for my vegetables area look forward to seeing your new vision of the walkways
Appreciate you Bill - good luck on your property!
I really enjoyed you describing the thought process behind how you are laying out your paths.
Love the old style videos like this one. def should throw one in every month!
Yes I agree or perhaps twice monthly love seeing this side of you this is what made me subscribe & watch all your videos.
What I love about gardening is that it is an ongoing experiment! Every year I take in the data and iterate a new plan for the next season.
I appreciate all your content. With and without the edits. You provide education and entertainment all in one. I just bought my first home and I'm trying to plan out our backyard garden now. It's small but I can't wait to get everything put together and set up.
I appreciate that!
I know you get it a lot, but I wanted to say thank you. Your video's during 2020 got into gardening. Zone 6b suberbia and yet I've expanded every year. Couple vertical gardens, several raised beds, pots w/ blueberries... Now looking at Apple trees in the future. It's been amazing so thank you for helping me find this hobby!
Create a rain garden to hold moisture where it runs off from the wall towards your greenhouse. Creating path ways define the areas.
We had a major reset as well. With a severe drought and consecutive days over 100 I lost so much of my garden. We now have a more DROUGHT TOLERANT garden with deep mulch and water catchment. I think renovations and redesigns should take about 2 to 5 years. You don't know how you will use a space until ineffency or adversity forces you to do something.
Best of luck w/ your reset!
@myurbangarden7695
Same thing in my situation. One-fourth of what I planted in the Spring survived this Summer, even with extra watering. . . . 😐
This is such good information. It gives the rest of us an opportunity to try new things without the fear of failing. If it works, great. If it doesn't, try something different. The point is to have fun and find your passion. Kevin, you're a rock star! ... and Jaques too.
Love these video with you showing us updates making on the homestead. Perfect timing I've been redoing a huge flower garden bed to make space for small food forest which would be more productive. Thanks for posting all your ideas sound great & very sensible. Question: for the screened in porch will you also add a screen door on the entry side near the garage? Or perhaps single panel french door? That area is very nice large for nice outside eating and work. You need a man cave on your next property. Yes, time for a move you've truly outgrown this space not only for personal but professional. A larger property would allow you to continue to teach us more with the rest of your staff. Such a success story.
Ideally that will be sealed off, large door seems wise!
This was great! I love hearing your real time thoughts on process and progress. Definitely food for thought when we think about landscaping out own backyard. Keep it coming!
Glad to hear that you’re going to add some structure, form, and definition to your garden. It will be beautiful. Can’t wait to see it!
Love ALL your episodes! Excited for the new developments. As you were talking I was thinking you need a larger property!
YES! to continuing this style of video. It is a nice compliment to an outstanding channel. As for the cat, talk to her. Tell her what you are doing like it is a video for her and just do what you are doing. She will see your routines are not a threat and will get comfortable with you around. Eventually, on her time, she may approach.
Rain water in some of your larger areas can also be managed with swales. They would be placed on contour and off of the mural wall to help percolate water into the soil where need 12:57 ed. The time to increase awareness of food forests (including swales), fruit guilds, and permaculture is now! I would love to see a major gardening channel bring these concepts to the masses.
I put a screened in porch on the back of my house. You will absolutely love screening in that area.
I cannot wait
Enjoyed the less formal discussion type video Kevin... Thx!
I really love watching you and Jacque working together but I also like the walkthrough and pre planning videos too. I'm constantly dreaming up what I want to do but sadly I'm in a suburban backyard with limited room, time, and resources. My goal for this year is plant less and plant with intention. I tend to crowd too many things into a tiny space and some things just get taken over by others. I really should be figuring out my pathways too so I can plan out where I want things on the future.
I like it all!!
As we work out our front yard, I think you are so smart to thing about pathways. I hadn't really processed that yet. Good thinking!
I like getting to see "here's a mistake a made" and "now that I know this, I'll do that". Homesteading is an iterative process, and this puts that on full display
Kevin, I know those aren't your cats but I have a pet peeve, {pun intended) about outdoor cats. My daughter and her family have cats that they let roam outside. I take care of her garden. This summer I rescued two baby birds and two baby bunnies the cats captured. I convinced my family that cats need to stay indoors. I'm just sharing this story as a PSA. Even well fed cats love to hunt. I really like our wild birds and song bird populations are plummeting, due in part to cat predation. Thanks for all you do! Looking forward to the garden upgrades!
I agree! I try to keep them fed enough so that they won't do it as much
@@epichomesteading Thanks Kevin!
I know I'm not the only viewer with children, one thing yall might want to look into is turning some of the beautiful botanical interest pictures into a coloring book..
You’ve done a wonder with that space. Gardening is definitely a learning journey, one which you will always evolve in. But you have to start somewhere and garner experience. And, sometimes, the place you want to plant something, isn’t the place where it wants to grow. Looking forward to seeing the finished pathways…and envying your weather. Woke up to snow, 32 degrees Celsius feeling like 26.6. 🌧
I have gotten into the habit of setting out holy basil plants around our deck and they do seem to keep mosquitos under control.
As for your cute little Bopka, (cute name btw,) she’s definitely into you!!😉 one day when you least expect it, she’ll come up to you purring and rubbing against you. Chances are good she’s intimidated by all the activity and your walking around. Soon you’ll be sitting on your lovely memorial bench cat in lap!
Thank you for talking about 're-doing and re-vamping' and correcting mistakes. It just shows a garden is ever evolving.
Absolutely crushing it! Haven't checked in on these vids in ages. So excited for how far the homestead has come, and how passionate you are about continuing to improve it :)
Welcome back!
I would move the asparagus now, and get it over with. You'll have a new crop sooner, and you won't regret leaving it where you resent it. It's your space, and you can make it pleasing to you!
Agreed!
It's good that you are putting in the paths now and not before, because you know how you're using the space now. If you put them in before, you'll end up with paths you don't use and desired paths that show up where they should have been. This happens so often on University campuses that there is a campus that waited years on purpose for desire paths to be formed naturally before paving over them.
You did your best with the information and resources you had at the time. I enjoy your journey very much, it’s all about trial and error. If you find a bigger property make sure you pack Jacques with you. I love you both, and together better.
Love your space. You've done so much with your 1/3 of an acre. Im in the process of ripping out a large part of my blacktop driveway to create about 800 sq feet more of backyard space (and gardening). Coming up with the hardscape plan is hard (and expensive) but so important. I really like your ideas. Ohhh and a 5 acre plot would be amazing!! Good luck!
Also restarting from scratch. Lots to do on a new 5 acres in the Ozarks! Your channel is a backbone of our knowledge. Thanks for all you do.
Love the Ozarks!
I love the variety of videos, they are all great! Sometimes I'm ready to learn and work, sometimes I love the touring and brainstorming, and the epic screwing around is hilarious 🙃 I think screening in your patio is an outstanding idea, especially as you all do so much work out there...maybe reconfigure some seating since you'll have more "walls" Time to bust out the oversized sketch pad, Kev!
Oh trust me, I've BEEN sketching!
I would love a full path planning video. It’s something it’s easy to forget. What are you using to make the paths? There so many options; temporary or permanent
I would love to see someone walk through your neighborhood and ask the neighbors how they react to being in the Epic Garden neighborhood. Have more people upped there garden game?
Yes to bougainvillea! When we lived in Hawaii many years ago it grew wild and rampant up all of the very tall banks along the highway - absolutely beautiful.
I loved your impulse reaction at the idea of doing "standard"! That's because everything you do is EPIC!
Love the vlog type videos. Looking forward to the homestead updates
Yes, I like these off the cuff videos. Feels like your just talking garden with another garden friend. Keep the education ones coming too, but these are great sprinkled in.
Hey good morning! I am so looking forward to seeing how this turns out. I too have had that great idea to redo my garden. I am not sure what to do about it. I have been looking in Pinterest and TH-cam for ideas.
I think you had to settle on a few things before pathways went in. You have changed things up quite a bit. Now that you know better how you will use it, it’s time for paths.
BTW, am still wondering what the plan for the hell strip. I am thinking various native milkweed in the center with California and Bread Seed Poppies. Super xeric, colorful and various height. IMO
I'm working with a native landscaper on that project!
Great video. I think your ideas are good. Gardening is about trying new things sometimes when others didn't work out. I agree on the walkways. They invite you to wander through. I will be watching your progress. Have a great Thanksgiving holiday. I'd like to see what ya'll have for your Thanksgiving dinner.
Love the Jacque videos, and loved this one. Keep em all coming! The homestead is inspiring and has come so far.
Thanks for sharing the reset. I was thinking about asparagus. Now I'm re-thinking it 😅 As for Fabka, other great advice here. Patience and maybe a little dried Catnip in the areas where they're welcome.
Some cats are just visiting several homes as a guest & return to their owners (could be micro chipped/ferral). Cats have a territory they walk about. But If the home they lived in has a changed environment, they will look for a new home. Happened with three of my cats over a 10yr period in two different suburbs (bred by me). 1st one, he went to our elderly lady neighbour left of the property & 2nd one went to neighbour on the right, a little old boy would play & talk to her & she would come back & visit her cat sisters. The 3rd one, we drove & saw her at the end of our st. & a young girl was sitting on her manicured lawn patting the cat & it looked really happy there. I was glad they all found loving homes that made them happy, which made me happy too.😻
I love your planning and walk-through videos, they give me so many ideas for my garden!
Fun seeing you plan out the potential for your garden! I have a lot of empty space to fill on our property so have been prioritizing what I want to do first, so helpful to hear your process. I did order a couple copies of your new book, excited to read it in the spring!
Appreciate you so much!
A series of swales would help to contain and infiltrate water within the test garden bed area. Deep mulch these and they can double as walkways between the planting rows. Is there a way to build a swale to direct water towards the orchard? I would definitely remember to consider the full mature size on the trees and allowing them optimzl sun exposure and air flow for fruit production as you go forward with the overhauls!! Best of luck! Also, much prefer these style videos vs the bantering between you and Jacques. Can't wait to see what you have planned and how it improves the use of your urban homestead!!
I wish my man would be more interested in my gardening projects ! If I had him on the "team" we could accomplish so much more ! Its mainly a one-woman show right now , I'd do just about anything to have him feel more passionately about our yard ! Its definitely my happy place , I want it to be his happy place too !
make sure you leave enough space for those paths. it may not seem like you need much but having a bit more really makes the epxerienc eof walking through so much easier. and just remember, you're going to be using those pathways like 100s of 100s of times per day, you want it to be a great expeerience.
These are my favorite episodes by far! Please keep them coming.
Would love to see a video of you vs Jaques picking like 5 ingredients each. Either from one garden or from your respective ones, and having the other try to make a dish from them.
Good luck with your upgrades! pathways are definitely a unique look to any landscape, and functional!
Btw if you want to get crazy that grape trellis system is also great for espalier. I did something very similar for some pluots at home and it's been amazingly fun
Might have to...
Ultimately, to have a space feel coherent it needs a consistent visual language, be it through shape, line quality, texture, color. At the same time it shouldn’t be uniform either: theme and variation is how we refer to it. If you decide to use the natural paths as the guide I think that would be a great spring board for the design. Burle Marx was a celebrated modernist landscape artist who used that approach when designing public parks.
Hi. Thank you for sharing your rebuilding plans. It sounds like you chose the path of wisdom.
You could dig the path areas out and fill with gravel to help spread the water from heavy rains. It will help the rain sink in.
Could you do a video of how to Olán what type of veg/flowers to put on a bed for beginners? My new place has a nice bed outside and not sure what to put on it. I been growing herbs on planters, but I want to take it a step further.
Looking forward to new paths and fruit trees, thanks Kevin!
hi kevin 🤗
great ideas for the homestead renovation. looking forward to seeing the progress and results.
ive overhauled my small backyard garden for the 4th time as i try to decide what works best for the food im growing, how i want to access it and the eye appeal.
5 acres would be great for you and your team. i hope to own that much land myself, but in southern California, where could I find it for less than an arm and two legs 🤣😂 tfs
honestly im at the same phase with my garden. this video is going help a ton thank you!!
Cute kitty!!! Our cat was a neighborhood stray that showed up at our house one day. One of the things that worked was Cat Crack Catnip (sold on Amazon for around 12-13 bucks, and it’s good quality from Canada). Woah, did I just become a catnip plug? Hmmm. Also, we bought cat toys and a cat-friendly food bowl so he wouldn’t get whisker fatigue. That plus some good wet food, crunchy dry food, and the occasional salmon from the grill, and he was ours.
I garden with cats too. =) Set out food and sit down nearby so you seem smaller and more relaxed. Then wait for a bit and just hang out while they eat so they associate you with the treat. Wet food and Churu treats, which you can feed directly once a cat knows you really well, otherwise squeeze onto a paper plate so they can lap it up. Churu is like a jackpot treat to them.
Also, slowly blinking is a sign to cats that you trust them enough to close your eyes and saying you are not a threat to them. You can also give them a nice place to lay. I have some little beds around and in the rainy season I build a little hut out of storage bins and cut a small hole on each end so they can get in and out and have an escape in case something comes in after them. You can put straw in the hut for a nice warm and dry bedding.
Also, San Diego has a lot of good options for TNR, or Trap Neuter Return. If you feed cats then more may start to come and they will reproduce like crazy and the males loved to spray my garden plants. I have not had any trouble with that since. San Diego Humane Society, Chula Vista Animal Care Facility and Feral Cat Coalition are all great and provide trap rental, free spay and neuter and will also deworm, vaccinate and provide any medical attention if needed. They will also provide you with tips to catch and house them for the procedure and for their care in general.
Thank you for all the great gardening advice and wishing you and your cat friends all the best!
I got a chipper/shredder for that exact purpose. I also got a paper shredder for the compost.
I love listening to both you and Jacques and all the other people you invite into your videos. Each persons opinion and style is interesting to me as well as educational. As for the cat, in time she will come around. Maybe sit a few feet away from her food fir bit and each day inch your way closer. Get her a toy. I hope you do get larger land because you would love it.
Love ya program ! Can’t wait to see what ya come up with !
Great idea to screen in the porch... hang curtains/shade fabric for privacy or windy days. The pride of Madeira is small now but they get huge (like Jacques). Won't leave much of a path at top of your pond?🤔 How do you keep fabka from jumping onto coop? 🐔 Move the asparagus. Design the space you'll love. Love the content in which ever format Kevin. Just keep it coming!
Awww, what a pretty cat. We used to feed a feral cat. He was beautiful and never did get too comfy to let us pet him. We just respected his comfort level and he'd come close enough to play with a cat toy I had tied on a string to a stick. He loved it. :) Also, we'd put his food dish in a slightly larger dish of water so the ants and slugs would stay out. Plus it gave him fresh water too.
I love hearing your thought process.
love these types of videos!!! i cant wait for the upgrades. and those orange flowers against the grey wall