Looney Hollow Homestead

06/17/2026

🌸 The Wildflower Pharmacy & Forage Lineup🌼

Yellow Salsify (Photo 1): That giant dandelion-lookalike is actually a fantastic survival food. While this one has gone to seed, the roots can be dug up and cooked like a parsnip (they taste surprisingly like oysters!).

Wild Petunia (Photo 2): Beyond being a beautiful native groundcover that prevents soil erosion, it's a vital host plant for native butterflies like the Common Buckeye.

Wild Bergamot / Bee Balm (Photo 3): A heavy hitter in the mint family! The leaves make a delicious, spicy tea that is traditionally used to soothe sore throats, calm upset stomachs, and clear up congestion. Plus, pollinators absolutely obsess over it.

Sensitive Briar (Photo 4): Those pink, Dr. Seuss-looking puffballs are excellent nitrogen-fixers, meaning they naturally improve and enrich the soil around them. Birds also love to eat the highly nutritious seeds later in the season.

Germander / Wood Sage (Photo 5): Historically used in traditional European herbalism as a bitter tonic to aid digestion and help manage inflammation.

🧺 Today's Harvest & Homestead Projects
The foraging has been incredible lately. I managed to gather even more wild blackberries today—perfect for a quick cobbler, summer jams, or just snacking on the trail.

But the highlight of my afternoon was finding some beautiful, fuzzy Mullein rosettes (Photo 6)! Mullein is an absolute staple for the homestead apothecary. Its soft leaves are legendary for soothing respiratory issues, making it a go-to for herbal teas, steams, or infused oils. Because it’s so useful, I carefully dug a few up and transplanted them right next to the house for easy access.

🐇 A Sweet Surprise
To make a perfect day even better, I almost stepped on the tiniest little baby bunny hiding out in the tall grass. It’s a beautiful reminder of the wildlife our diverse, wild plants help support and feed.

Tell me: Do you use any of these wild plants in your own home apothecary or kitchen? What’s growing wild near you right now?

06/16/2026

🖤 Looney Hollow Homestead Update 🖤

Last night was one of those evenings that reminds us why we’re building this life together.

We spent the evening trimming up the giant cedar tree in our front yard, and what a difference it made! 🌲 The tree looks absolutely beautiful now, and the whole front yard feels more open and welcoming.

But the best part wasn’t the finished tree.

It was working side by side. Cutting branches, hauling brush, making a huge burn pile, and watching all that hard work come together. Building a homestead isn’t just about the land—it’s about the memories made while caring for it.

There’s something special about standing back at the end of a long day, dirty, tired, smelling like cedar and smoke, and being able to say, “We did that together.”

Every project makes Looney Hollow feel a little more like home. 🖤🔥🌲

06/15/2026

Everyone meet Gary 🐌
He was stuck to the brown pot when I picked it up and I accidently flung him off and he hit the concrete and cracked his shell. Darlene and I decided to rehab him until he’s healed, and then he gets to go loose here on the homestead.

06/15/2026

06/15/2026

Looney Hollow Homestead after dark 🌙
Yard looks beautiful all mowed and we got a solar light up number sign for our address 🏡

06/15/2026

06/15/2026

🌿 Looney Hollow Homestead Update 🌿

Last night I finally got my goth garden planted, and I am absolutely in love with how it turned out. I am going to move the fruits and veggies to another bed, but until I can get more soil, I wanted them to get a head start.

We tucked in lilies, lavender, rosemary, calla lilies, grapes, green peppers, hot peppers, watermelon, zucchini, chocolate mint, flowers, and all kinds of beautiful dark foliage. Between the crystals, driftwood, antlers, and our little garden gnomes, it feels like something straight out of a woodland fairy tale with a spooky twist.

The grapes are already showing off, the lilies are blooming, and now we get to sit back and watch everything grow. 🌱🍇

Meanwhile, Andy has been hard at work too. He got the area around the fire pit mowed down, and it’s really starting to look like the gathering place we’ve been imagining. Every week another piece of Looney Hollow comes together, and it’s amazing to see this little dream taking shape.

From blackberries and tomatoes to campfires and creek days, we’re slowly turning raw land into home.

What do you think of my goth garden? 🖤🌿

06/14/2026

06/14/2026

Some weeks just feel like homestead magic, and this was one of them. 🖤

We got our very first lawn mower, and Andy was absolutely tickled to finally mow his own yard. Watching him cruise around with the biggest grin on his face was pretty special. And honestly? The place is looking beautiful.

We also got to spend time with our friends Glen and Kristina and their sweet girls. They discovered one of the best things about country life—creek water, limestone sand, and mud. I sprayed the sand down, turned it into a muddy playground, and those babies had an absolute blast. It was great to see them and we are thankful they made the drive out to see us. Sometimes the simplest things make the best memories.

The garden keeps giving us reasons to smile. My very first cherry tomato has appeared! 🍅 We also have strawberries, beefsteak tomatoes, green grapes, purple grapes, rosemary, lavender, watermelon, and zucchini all growing and thriving. There’s nothing quite like seeing food begin to take shape after all the work that goes into planting it.

We also received our custom homestead sign from The Metal Wizards, and we are blown away. They took our logo and recreated it perfectly. It is everything we hoped for and more. Stay tuned—we have plans for it! 👀

And of course…

There are still blackberries. Lots and lots of blackberries. 🫐

Every week this place feels a little more like home, and we’re so grateful to share the journey with all of you.

Grow Wild. Learn Wild. 🌿🖤

06/08/2026

Nothing fancy. Nothing perfect. Just a couple of smash burgers on the griddle and our very first dinner at the homestead.

After all the dreaming, planning, digging, pouring, and hard work, sitting down to eat a meal on our own land feels pretty special. ❤️