Living the Country Life: Summer 2012

From My Place To Yours: Gifts From the Heart

Betsy's only daughter, Caroline, graduated from high school this year, and Mom splurged on an amazing keepsake for her. Congratulations, Caroline!

The Spot to Pick

This quirky u-pick flower farm is full of old-fashioned charm and new ideas. Bring a teacup to tie to the teacup tree, relax under a shade tree, and shop for gifts while you're there!

Mini Moos

Pint-size cows can be a perfect fit for a small acreage, plus they're downright adorable! Learn about the different breeds of miniature cattle, and see which is best for you.

Electric Fence Basics

If you're having trouble keeping your livestock penned in, it's time to consider electric fencing. Here are some basics to get you started!

10 Steps to the Perfect Shade Garden

Shady gardens can be every bit as beautiful as their sunny counterparts! See how this creative gardener brightened up her shady yard.

Raising Pigs

Swine can be a smart addition to many small farms. See what's involved in raising pigs, and find tips for getting started.

Garden Oasis

Meet a Washington couple who transformed a yard made of clay and gravel into a garden oasis, one step at a time.

Bonus: 7 tips for building paths

Graceful Place

This North Carolina couple travels extensively for work, but it's the wooded gardens of their beautiful acreage that keeps them grounded.

All Around the Homestead: New use for bales, ladders

See how one reader turned an old ladder into a roost for chickens, and another planted a tomato garden in hay bales instead of soil!

10 Tasty Tomato Recipes

All you have to do for the main ingredient in these recipes is step into your garden! Make the most of tomato season with these mouth-watering dishes!

Brent Olson: A Summer Sunrise is Free

We are not defined by our soft days, when the air is sweet and living is easy. Who we are comes into focus by the sculpting and chiseling of hard times.