Backyard Homestead Basics: Simple Structures That Last

What if your garden didn’t just grow food…

What if it grew fences that live, beds that feed themselves, and soil built from yesterday’s scraps?

In this week’s episode of Old Ways New Days, we’re breaking down easy at-home garden builds — from willow living fences to hugelkultur mounds and keyhole gardens.

No fancy budget.

No perfection.

Just practical magic and hands in the dirt.

Listen now and start building your living garden. 🌿

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

It's early evening, the light is soft, that honey colored glow just before sunset. You're standing in your yard, or maybe it's a small patch behind an apartment building, or a narrow side lot between houses. The air smells like soil warming after a long winter. You look at the space and think, I wanna grow something here. Not just tomatoes, not just herbs. You want structure. Intention. A space that feels alive. You don't need thousands of dollars. You don't need acres. You don't need perfection. You need branches. You need boards. You need scraps. You need patience. You need the willingness to start before you feel ready. Our ancestors didn't wait for Pinterest boards. They built it with what the land offered. Tonight we're going to do the same. Today's episode is about building. Not empires, not aesthetics for social media, but simple hands in the dirt. Make it with what you have garden structures. The kind our ancestors would have recognized. The kind that grow with you. We're talking living willow fences, raised beds, keyhole gardens, trellises Hugo culture. That's an interesting word, yes. Hugo culture. Permaculture principles and compost systems you can build without a contractor or a homestead influencer budget. Let's begin where all good gardens begin.

SPEAKER_01 1:51

Welcome witches, pagans, heathens, spiritualists, and anyone interested in living sustainably.

SPEAKER_00 1:57

This is Old Ways New Days, where the old ways meet the good dirt. I'm Kayla, and I'm Nell. And each week we explore the sacred art of living close to the land.

SPEAKER_01 2:10

From compost to covens, chickens to charms, we're reclaiming self-sufficiency, seasonal living, and ancestral wisdom. Whether you're stirring your cauldron or your soup pot, this is a space for wild-hearted folk walking the homesteading path with intention, magic, and muddy boots. In Chicago! Yes! And why are we gonna be in Chicago? Looking at your dream dress. Yeah, hopefully finding my dream wedding dress. I'm so excited.

SPEAKER_00 3:18

I'm so happy I kind of found it for you and shared that link to you, and you're like, let's go. I was like, yep, we're making a trip.

SPEAKER_01 3:27

And it will be so nice to get a few days off of work. Oh, right. So, and of course, it falls right before St. Patrick's Day, so we will also be pre-recording an episode on that.

SPEAKER_00 3:41

And we might be doing some fun festivities in Chicago since that starts that weekend. Right.

SPEAKER_01 3:48

So we'll have to look uh and see what is uh going on so that we I just don't want to see a green river.

SPEAKER_00 3:56

No. We won't have to do that. Okay, I hope not.

SPEAKER_01 4:01

But yeah, today um today I wrote this episode uh because we had a Facebook listener um request that we do something on structures that are easily made and um you know, kind of with materials that you have on hand. Uh they did not want a specific call-out with their name because they don't want to be famous, which is fine. I get that. We don't want to be either, we're just helping you. Yeah, we're just here for the sharing of information. But so this is kind of in honor of them. I'm not quite sure this is what they were looking for, uh, but hopefully this episode brings them some joy.

SPEAKER_00 4:45

And hopefully it helps any of you out too.

SPEAKER_01 4:49

Right. So we're gonna talk um with about a living fence. So it isn't just a boundary, it's a breathing one, and they can be really beautiful.

SPEAKER_00 5:01

Oh yeah. Especially when they um especially if you have one that flowers. It's like just amazing how like it will bloom when the time is right, and just Mother Nature plays part too.

SPEAKER_01 5:17

Yeah, and we're not talking about like your metal fence or a wood fence that you plant a vine onto. No, we are talking willow branches uh that are cut and placed in moist soil which will root and then grow. And if you structure them right, they can create a literal living fence. Yeah, because willow branches are very flexible. They are very flexible, which means you can bend them and shape them in any way you want. Yep. And if you just use some simple ties, uh but we'll let's get into it. So sorry. Yeah, so this is an ancient technique and has been used across Europe and North America for centuries to create a natural fencing, wind breaks, and animal enclosures. So, why it's magical and practical? Well, it literally grows stronger over time. It symbolizes protection that evolves, it creates habitats for birds and pollinators, it reduces wind damage to delicate crops. So here is how you build one. You want to harvest fresh willow branches during late winter or early spring while they're still dormant. Soak them in water for 24 to 48 hours, and then you push those bare stakes 8 to 12 inches into moist soil in a row. You can then weave these branches together, uh, making like a basket pattern or really any pattern you want, and use uh twine, which is biodegradable, uh, like a wo um like a sisal wine, uh sisal twine. I'm getting ready for that wedding dress shopping. Um sisal twine so that it biodegrades and won't damage the willow branches as they grow. And so then you just weave these together in and then water it deeply. Within weeks, the roots begin forming. So you're not installing a fence, you're planting protection. In the old ways, woven branches were symbols of community, individual sticks forming together. So let that meaning guide you and how you build your living fence.

SPEAKER_00 7:29

And I think that if you at the base of this living fence, if you weave it where the structure is closer together, so it's a sturdier base.

SPEAKER_01 7:44

Well, as they grow, so I've seen them, I've seen videos of them. Um, so as they grow, the the the stalk or the the trunk will thicken up as it grows. So it the enclosure So you won't have to have so it's you want to place them 12 to 18 inches apart just so they have space.

SPEAKER_00 8:06

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 8:07

And then as they grow, they will the branches will thicken and that will shrink up the holes that you have. And then every year it will branch out, you'll have new buds, and then you just either weave the branches, new branches in to make it even thicker and more sturdy, or you trim them off. But you will have a green living fence during the summer, and then a very state arc architectural statement piece in the winter. I can say that. You can.

SPEAKER_00 8:37

I can get that out of my mouth. Alright, so now we're gonna move on to raised garden beds. So raised garden beds are one of the easiest beginner builds. They improve drainage, warm faster in the spring, reduce bending and back strain, help define sacred growing space. So you'll use four untreated woodboards, some screws, and level ground. That's it. You can also use reclaimed lumber, bricks, logs, corrugated metal, and if you're on a budget, even cinder blocks work beautifully. So you'll fill your beds in layers, cardboard to suppress weeds, the sticks and twigs, compost, topsoil. You're mimicking forest soil. So this is a controlled abundance.

SPEAKER_01 9:36

And it and it's great with raised beds, um, one because they can contain a lot of space if you have a pretty decent size, but by filling it with sticks and twigs and compost, you're actually saving money because you don't need quite as much topsoil or garden dirt, depending on what you want to use. Right. And so then that saves you money in the long run, and as all of the things underneath decompose, you're adding nutrients into that soil, which makes your veggies and fruits or whatever you're growing it that much healthier and better for you. There's something deeply powerful about growing your own medicine. Not the kind that comes in a plastic bottle from a pharmacy shelf, but the kind that begins with soil under your fingernails, sunlight on green leaves, and the quiet patience of the seasons. For thousands of years, people all over the world turned to plants first. Long before modern pharmaceuticals, families kept small plots of healing herbs close to the kitchen door. Plants for fever, for cough, for sleep, for calming the nerves after a long day's work. Those gardens weren't just practical, they were sacred. Medicinal garden is one of the simplest ways to reconnect with that tradition, even if you only have a patio, a balcony, or a few containers in a sunny window. That's why we have partnered with a medicinal growing kit that's perfect for beginners and seasoned plant lovers alike. This kit comes with carefully selected seeds for classic healing herbs, like chamomile for calming teas, calentula for skin healing, lemon balm for stress and sleep, peppermint for digestion, lavender for relaxation. What we like about this starter kit is that it removes the overwhelm. You're not standing in a garden center staring at hundreds of seed packets, wondering where to begin. Instead, you start with the plants that have been traditionally used in herbalism for generations. With your seed kit, you'll also receive a copy of the herbal medicinal guide from Seeds to Remedies. This guide will show you how to turn these 10 plants into tinctures, ointments, salves, poultices, decoctions, infusions, essential oils. All in minute detail so you can follow the guide even if you've never made an herbal medicine in your life. And if you're someone who practices earth-based spirituality, herbal magic, or simply wants to reconnect with older ways of caring for yourself and your family, growing medicinal herbs can become part of your seasonal rituals. Planting seeds becomes intention, harvesting becomes gratitude, and every cup of tea carries a story from the soil to your hands. If you're interested in starting your own medicinal herb garden, check out the affiliate link in the show notes. Supporting the link also helps support the podcast and keeps episodes like this growing, because sometimes the most powerful medicine is the kind you grow yourself. Alright, so speaking of composting and stuff decomposting, uh kehole gardens originated in parts of Africa, particularly Lesotho, where growing conditions require water efficiency and soil conservation. These circular raised beds feature a compost bucket in the center, a notch pathway, which is the keyhole for access, sloped soil that distributes nutrients outward. So why they work? Water poured into the compost center filters nutrients outward. So that would be set higher than the raised bed around it. Waste that you put in the compost bin becomes fert fertility. The shape maximizes space and microclimates. Symbolically, the circle represents wholeness, the keyhole represents access to transformation. It is one of the most elegant small space garden designs you can build. So trellises.

SPEAKER_00 13:35

Trellis, if space is limited, they grow up. They can be built from bamboo poles, cattle panels, fallen branches, string and wooden stakes. Cucumbers, beans, peas, squash, they all want to climb. Climbing plants teach us something important. Support creates strength. In folk magic, vines represent connection and upward growth. A trellis is permission for your plants to reach higher.

SPEAKER_01 14:12

Alright, now the word that Nell had a hard time with Hugo culture. Hugo culture. So Hugo culture is a German word meaning mound culture. It involves burying logs and woody debris beneath soil to create a raised mound. So kind of like making a hill, a tiny hill in your garden space. And this holds moisture like a sponge. It feeds soil microbes, reduces watering needs, decomposes slowly over years due to large logs. Is easy to build. You lay down those large logs first, you add smaller branches, add leaves, grass clippings, compost compost. Oh my god. Compost? I know. I'm struggling to do. Add compost, and then you cover all of that with soil. At first it looks kind of messy, but decomposition is holy work. In spiritual symbolism, wow. I am saying certain words. I'm really sorry. Hugo culture. You know. In spiritual symbolism, Hugo Culture mirrors death feeding life. What fails becomes foundation. And the nice thing is with this is you plant the taller plants, like your corn or anything really tall on the top of the mound and your smaller things on the bottom. If you point it so that it faces north-south, then as the sun moves, you can have both morning veggies that love morning sun and not hot, hot afternoon sun on the east side, and then the stuff that loves the hot sun on the west side. And then you're getting the best of everything, and you're not really shading anything too much.

SPEAKER_00 15:54

Nice. So now we're gonna talk about the permaculture principles and how we can design it with the land. So permaculture isn't just a method, it's a philosophy. Coined by Bill Mollison and developed further with David Holmg Homegrin. It's a circle for both of us today. Coined by Bill Mollison and developed further with David Holmgren, Prima permaculture is about designing systems that mimic natural ecosystems. Three core ethics are to care for the earth, care for the people, return the surplus. Instead of fighting nature, permaculture asks, What is already happening here? How can I work with it? Observe where water pools, notice where some lingers. Plant perennials where they thrive naturally. This is slow gardening, listening gardening. Old ways gardening.

unknown 17:04

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 17:05

Composting. Woohoo! It's your alchemy in a pile.

SPEAKER_00 17:11

And some things don't stink.

SPEAKER_01 17:13

Yeah. I noticed uh one of our admins posted a what to put in a compost pile and what not to infographic the other day. So it's perfectly on point and the timing was great. I didn't, you know, we didn't tell her to do that. Good job! Yeah, all right. So compost is kitchen scraps turned into soil. It's the most accessible garden build of all. It's simple bin options. You can use three wooden pallets wired together, a repurposed trash can with drilled holes, a simple open pile, which can get messy, of course. It's all about balance. You want to incorporate browns, so that's your dry leaves and cardboard greens, food scraps and grass clippings, and then turn it occasionally, water it lightly, or let it just be watered naturally by rain. And you can watch steam rise in cooler weather, and that's your microbial magic. Uh, composting is the most honest metaphor for life. Nothing wasted, everything transformed.

SPEAKER_00 18:18

So now we're gonna bring it all together. You don't have to build everything at once. Start with one raised bed, one trellis, one compost pile. Then let the land guide you. Your garden will teach you what is what it needs. And remember, these builds don't have to be perfect. They will weather, they will lean, they will settle, and so will you.

SPEAKER_01 18:46

Yeah, there's nothing like having a compost bin that just kind of falls over.

SPEAKER_00 18:50

Yeah. I don't want that to happen. No. So gardening structures aren't static. They grow with you.

SPEAKER_01 19:01

So if you're feeling overwhelmed, just pause. Stand in your space at dusk, feel the soil, imagine what could root here. Then build one small thing. That's how homesteads begin. That's how traditions return. That's how the old ways live again.

SPEAKER_00 19:20

Not in grand jesters, but in willow branches and compost piles. Till next time. This has been Old Ways New Days.