American Farmhouse Style April/May 2022

SOMETIMES EVEN MORE THAN JANUARY 1, spring feels like the time for beginnings. We emerge outside from our indoor winter hibernation and get to work on home and garden projects. I have a small kitchen garden at my home where I’ve been experimenting with vegetables, and thanks to the temperate weather in Southern California, can grow food like carrots, celery and even tomatoes year-round. Yet spring is still when I get new ideas for what to plant, and ways to spruce up my home inside and out. So we’ve pulled together some great ideas for your own home. Start outside with gardening tips (page 10), furniture picks (page 16), vintage gardening accessories (page 24) and a few tours: both garden (page 32) and she shed (page 38). Then head inside…

americanfarmhousestyle.com HOW TO GET A COLORFUL FARMHOUSE Color is coming back into style for farmhouse décor. Get some tips and tricks for where and how to add easy color that you can swap out if you don’t love it later. BEFORE AND AFTER RENOVATION This 120-year-old home in Iowa received the renovation of its life…and then a terrible storm nearly destroyed it. The before and after pictures are dramatic! HOW TO ROCK YOUR RENTAL Renting your home? Learn how to make the most out of it, even when you can’t do any renovations. CHICKEN COOP CURB APPEAL Chickens are a great hobby farm animal, and a chicken coop is another opportunity to showcase your farmhouse style. We have 4 elements to share for how to increase the curb appeal of…

5 OF THE EASIEST VEGETABLES TO GROW EXCERPT FROM REWILD YOUR LIFE BY SARAH STIRLING, PUBLISHED BY HARDIE GRANT BOOKS, © 2021; HARDIEGRANT.COM. 1. ZUCCHINI These are straightforward to grow and renowned for their abundant crop. In mid-spring, plant seeds in small pots of compost and sit them on sunny windowsills or in a greenhouse. Alternatively, buy plants from a garden center. Transfer them outside after the last frost. 2. TOMATOES Follow the same guidelines as for zucchini. Some varieties, such as Tumbling Tom, grow well in hanging baskets, trailing down fresh, juicy tomatoes. Tip: basil and tomatoes make great companion plants in pots as well as on plates, as basil repels insects. 3. SALAD LEAVES These are rapid-growing, and many varieties can be harvested on a cut-and-come-again basis (trim the…

1. Make your Easter eggs last for years. Use a safety pin to create small holes on either end of each egg, then blow on one until the yolk and whites come out. Rinse out the egg and let it dry before decorating.2. The wax in crayons resist dye. Draw a pattern on your egg with a white crayon, then dye the whole egg. Your pattern will stay white against the colored backdrop.3. Don’t want the mess of decorating and dying the eggs? Simply blow out the insides and display them in their natural form on your coffee table or a bookshelf.…

It’s frustrating when hard work doesn’t pay off, especially when it comes to gardening. In their new book, Grow More Food: A Vegetable Gardener’s Guide to Getting the Biggest Harvest Possible from a Space of Any Size, authors Colin McCrate and Brad Halm, professional and experienced farmers, share their knowledge about how to increase your garden’s productivity. And if you don’t have a garden yet, this can help you get started. STEP 1: PREPARE A THOUGHTFUL PLAN Before altering your yard, take time to write down your growing priorities. “It’s no exaggeration to say that a detailed garden plan alone can double or triple the productivity of a garden,” the authors write. For instance, think about how big you want your garden to be and how many people you want…

If you have soap and water on hand, you have everything you need to make this home gardening spray. “Just a simple mixture of soap and water can help eliminate or control hordes of insects,” McCrate and Halm write. “The soap coats the insects and breaks down their cell membranes, drying them out and killing them relatively quickly.” The best part? This spray is non-toxic, so it’s safe around children and pets. HOW TO MAKE IT: 1. Add 1 tablespoon of soap (liquid dish soap, castile soap or a specialized insecticidal soap) with a quart of water to a spray bottle.2. Shake vigorously. HOW TO USE IT: • Spray the soap on insect populations every 2-3 days for 1-2 weeks.• Use it carefully on crops to prevent harming them. To…