Grow a garden for everyday life.
Fresh vegetables & fresh flowers from a real garden in a regular backyard
Choose Your Path:
New to Vegetable Gardening?
Want to Grow Food You’ll Actually Eat?
Everyone Deserves a Flower-Filled Home
Wondering What to Do with the Harvest?
Welcome to Not Quite a Homestead
Hey! I’m Karen, a backyard gardener in the heart of Indiana. I grow vegetables and cut flowers in a suburban backyard, and I’m sharing what actually works here.
You don’t need a farm or acreage to have a garden you love. Just some good soil and and a few seeds.
Winter on Not Quite a Homestead
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2026 Garden Notes: What I’m Sowing, Skipping, and Anticipating in February
February garden notes from a Midwestern garden: what I’m planting indoors, direct sowing (even though it’s False Spring), pruning, and what I’m waiting on.
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2025 Garden Notes: What Actually Worked in My Garden This Year
A real-life garden reflection on what worked in 2025, including my favorite plants, systems worth repeating, and lessons shaping next year’s garden.
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Ranking My Best and Worst Cut Flower Arrangements from 2025
Each year I rank a selection of my cut flower arrangements from best to worst. These are the top 5 and worst 5 of 2025.
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What to Plan for Your Garden in December (Without Overthinking It)
Plan your summer garden this winter without overthinking it. Easy, simple garden planning tips to reduce spring stress and grow what you love.
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How to Design a Cottage Vegetable Garden: 8 Elements for a Space You’ll Never Want to Leave
Transform your backyard into a cottage vegetable garden you’re proud of. These 8 essential elements pulled from potager garden designs will help you create a backyard garden you’ll never want to leave.
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Small Cutting Garden Plan for Homegrown Bouquets
Create a gorgeous cut-flower garden and stunning bouquets using my simple cutting garden plan. You’ll also find variety recommendations for 5 different color schemes to customize your garden to your aesthetic.
Your cut flower garden plan is here.
Designed for small gardens, not flower farms, The Magic 7 Cut Flower Garden Plan shows you how to plant from seed, harvest, and arrange 7 flowers for endless bouquets all summer long.
Featured Posts on Not Quite a Homestead
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Stop Gardening Like a Farmer: 10 Mistakes Home Gardeners Make
Gardening feeling harder than it should? You may be gardening like a farmer. Discover 10 common mistakes home gardeners make and how to fix them for a more rewarding garden.
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How to Plant a Low-Maintenance Vegetable Garden
Learn how to grow a productive, low-maintenance vegetable garden with easy-care plants, smart watering tips, and time-saving strategies.
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Choosing the Best Tomato Varieties for Your Garden
Learn about all different kinds of tomatoes and choose the best tomato variety to grow in your vegetable garden this year.
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7 Themed Vegetable Garden Plans for a Small Raised Bed (Free Layouts)
A small veggie garden can pack a big punch with a creative theme and carefully planned layout. Get these free themed planting plans for 4×4′ beds and start your garden.
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How to Start the Cut-Flower Garden of Your Dreams
Today is the day to begin planning your first cut-flower garden. Cut flowers are easy to grow and so rewarding. If you’ve struggled with vegetables, you may find cut flowers grow more readily for you.
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How to Plan Your First Vegetable Garden (for Beginners)
New to vegetable gardening? Learn how to plan your first garden step by step—without overwhelm, guesswork, or fear of getting the timing wrong.
My Favorite Things
Latest Posts
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How to Grow Cucumbers from Seed to Harvest (Plus My Favorite Varieties)
Sharing how I grow cucumbers from seed every year. This guide covers everything from choosing varieties to dealing with pests and what really matters for growing these crisp vegetables.
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Best Companion Plants for Zucchini and Squash (Stop Squash Vine Borers Naturally)
“Easy to grow” doesn’t mean problem-free. Let’s discuss squash bugs and borers, companion planting squash and zucchini, and what really matters to grow squash from seed to harvest.
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The Best Companion Plants for Tomatoes (& What NOT to Plant Nearby)
Plant these companion plants for tomatoes and watch your harvest explode. My favorite companion flowers and vegetables for tomatoes and how each helps tomato plants thrive.
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How to Grow the Best-Tasting Tomatoes from Seed
If you’ve never grown tomatoes from seed before, you’re missing out on hundreds of varieties and flavors that will ruin you for grocery store tomatoes forever. This guide is an overview on when to start seeds, how to keep seedlings alive and thriving, and tips for growing the best-tasting tomatoes of your life.
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2026 Garden Notes: Seeds I’m Starting This Year (and Why)
A realistic garden planning post sharing the seeds I’m starting for 2026, what I’m skipping on purpose, and how I’m simplifying this season.
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Raised Beds vs. In-Ground Gardening: How to Choose the Best Option
Deciding between raised beds or in-ground gardening? Let’s break down both styles and choose the garden setup that fits your space and goals. Includes a flow chart.
