Spring Archives - Stephanie Hafferty

Homestead update – early February

by Stephanie Hafferty | Feb 2, 2025 | Ael Y Bryn, Blog, Homesteading, Spring, Winter

Oh my goodness, how much wild weather have we had this winter? For a while it seemed as though every few days there was another storm. Thankfully the weather forecast is looking more settled for early February, with more dry days, seasonally appropriate frost and even...

Why I wait to sow

by Stephanie Hafferty | Jan 21, 2023 | Blog, Homesteading, Kitchen garden, No Dig Gardening, Organic, Permaculture, Resilient Gardening, Spring, Sustainable Gardening, What To Sow Now, Winter

In January there’s a real temptation to get out those seed packets and start sowing, to brighten up short dark days with the promise of new leafy life. Do resist! Here’s why I don’t start sowing seeds in January. Even though I have heat mats, grow...

May update from my no dig homestead

by Stephanie Hafferty | May 26, 2022 | Blog, Homesteading, No Dig Gardening, Spring

I am writing this blog in a tiny thatched cottage in Oxfordshire, where I am staying for a few days, during eight days of working away in England. On Monday I attended Press Day at Chelsea Flower Show (read about that in another blog soon) and I am heading back there...

Seeds of Love: what to sow in February

by Stephanie Hafferty | Feb 13, 2022 | Blog, Homesteading, Kitchen garden, Spring, Winter

February 14th – St Valentine’s Day – is a magical time for gardeners. It is around this time that daylight starts to exceed 10 hours, the key number of hours needed for plants to grow and photosynthesise properly. It’s time to start sowing some...

Ael Y Bryn – my new Welsh no dig garden

by Stephanie Hafferty | Apr 25, 2021 | Ael Y Bryn, Blog, Homesteading, Kitchen garden, Mulching, No Dig Gardening, No Dig Home, No Dig Organic Home and Garden, Organic, Permaculture, Preparing The Soil, Spring

Welcome to Ael Y Bryn! We have now lived here in West Wales for just over a month and are absolutely loving it. It’s an exciting time creating a whole new no dig garden here and exploring our new location. Here I am making an abundant small homestead, mostly on...

What to sow in February

by Stephanie Hafferty | Feb 14, 2021 | Blog, Gardening, Homesteading, Kitchen garden, No Dig Gardening, Organic, Permaculture, Polytunnel, Spring

Every year I look forward to Valentine’s Day – not for romantic reasons but for leafy ones! Because this is an excellent time to start your sowings for the year. Here in Somerset the sun rose today at around 7:25 and will set at around 17:25, ten hours of...

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Stephanie Hafferty

photo by Jason Ingram

Welcome to my blog. I’m Stephanie, follow my journey as I create my homestead in rural Wales on around half an acre. Here I grow year round, and teach gardening, homesteading and food courses.

An experienced kitchen gardener, homesteader and plant-based chef, I’ve been growing my own food for decades to feed my family. I am an award winning garden and food writer, write for many publications and am currently working on my third book.

From the garden to the kitchen, explore the categories below to follow the rhythms of life on the homestead.