Lisa Gabrielle

Hi Ivar - great to see more Christian men on this site. You have so much to offer a young lady and I hope she finds you soon. Blessings to you in your search!

There’s a certain magic in coaxing life from reluctant soil. For some, gardening is a gentle pastime—a dance with sunshine and soft earth. But for others, it’s a fierce declaration of will against rock, clay, drought, or frost. These are the gardeners with grit. The ones who look at barren ground and see not impossibility, but potential waiting to be unearthed. Today, we pay homage to that indomitable spirit, embodied most remarkably by a man who didn’t just garden in harsh conditions—he sculpted an entire Eden beneath them: Baldasare Forestiere. Read more…https://www.cottageseed.com/journal-1/underground-gardens-grit

Sounds like fun!

Kaarina Kreus wrote:Flushing toilets with clean water and pumping that to far-away plants is a pretty new phenomen. Modern outhouses and composting toilets are pretty awesome, especially if you have a garden. No smells and you get composted manure.

I like this model of composting toilet. It looks like the incinerator type. Can you tell us who makes this one Kaarina?

Thank you to all who have replied. My research and your comments lead me to explore just adding on a very large conservatory - greenhouse of sorts so that the house itself doesn't become that dreaded petri dish lol! It is a bit disappointing as I am concerned about all of the aerial spraying and cloud seeding going on all over the country and just want to protect my soil from the heavy metals as much as I can. I think investing in a good air filtration system is going to be a priority in the coming years (it's no longer a theory, there is enough data to show this spray is very harmful).

Again, thanks. If you think of anything else, feel free to drop it here so everyone can share ideas on this house in a greenhouse idea.

Wishing you the very best Pippy. Happy life!

I think that it would be amazing to put a small cabin or cottage inside a greenhouse. There was an article about a couple who built an "eco-luxury" home in Sweden. It's not what I'd envision (the house is too large in my opinion), but the concept is inspiring. Other than air circulation, and assuming you live in a relatively cool climate, any thoughts on the downsides?

@AliceWegner you are an inspiration! Thank you for the very helpful post.

Hi Dan, I very much appreciate the advice! When you say "frost free" do you mean like this type of hose bib?

dan hazlett wrote:Planning is the most important thing you can do.  Knowing that the plans will change is probably the most important thing you can know.  I would suggest running some pipes well underground to multiple frost free hydrants.  This way you have water wherever you may need it.  This is my plan, anyway.  Then map it out, take measurements, etc, so you can find the pipes again.

I've been reading so much about permaculture, and didn't know that for years I was doing it. Well, small scale (like a hugleculture) , but wanted to create more of a sustainable food supply where I let nature do most of the work. An I lazy - lol? One issue I've come across is that the "experts" are divided on whether permaculture is different from a food forest. I'd be grateful for any help to settle the issue, if you are able. Thanks.