Skip to content
Merchant Homestead Merchant Homestead
  • Home
  • Shop
  • Garden
  • Kitchen
  • About Us
  • Cart
  • Checkout
  • My account
  • Search
Merchant Homestead
Merchant Homestead
Chickens

Backyard Chickens

Debbie,
March 24, 2023March 24, 2023

There’s been a huge influx of people looking to keep their own backyard chickens, and…

Continue Reading
Garden growing from seed

Growing from Seed

Debbie,
March 17, 2023March 17, 2023

Why to grow from seed Growing your own plants from seed can be both fun,…

Continue Reading
Garden Aphids

Aphid Control in the Garden

Debbie,
March 9, 2023March 2, 2023

If you’re wanting to grow your own food throughout the year, there will no doubt…

Continue Reading
Kitchen sourdough focaccia

Sourdough Focaccia

Debbie,
March 2, 2023February 27, 2023

I adore sourdough. I adore focaccia. Smash the two together and the resulting Sourdough Focaccia…

Continue Reading
Kitchen How to make basil pesto

Homemade Basil Pesto Recipe

Debbie,
February 23, 2023February 17, 2023

Homemade basil pesto is super fresh and flavoursome, and such a good way to use…

Continue Reading
Garden Starting seeds for Autumn

Seed Sowing for Autumn

Debbie,
February 14, 2023March 8, 2023

If you have been stuck inside and yearning for the garden, now is a great…

Continue Reading
Kitchen harvest of lemons and tangelos

Homemade Lemon Cordial

Debbie,
November 10, 2022November 10, 2022

It’s harvest time for a lot of juicy good citrus fruit, and it’s also starting…

Continue Reading
Garden

Propagating Tomatoes for Free Food!

Debbie,
November 2, 2022November 2, 2022

Look, I think this is the best news. We can turn one tomato plant into…

Continue Reading
Kitchen

Homemade Pickles

Debbie,
October 12, 2022February 16, 2023

I am a pickle fiend. When I go to McD’s I’m an extra pickles kind…

Continue Reading
Kitchen quick pickled onions

Quick Pickled Onions

Debbie,
October 12, 2022March 7, 2023

The other day I went to a birthday party with a build your own slider…

Continue Reading
  • Previous
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • Next

Welcome to Merchant Homestead

Gardener Debbie
This is me, Debbie, in my natural habitat. Messy hair, natural face, wearing Dan’s borrowed jersey. This is the happy face of a girl in the sunshine, snacking on peas and picking spinach. It’s a good time and I’m glad you can enjoy it too. Thanks for following along my garden journey.
I forgot I planted peas 🤣 my brain has been dec I forgot I planted peas 🤣 my brain has been decidedly custard these last few weeks and so imagine my delight stumbling across a pea blossom! Hopefully this weekend we'll get a gap in the rain and I can give this lil lady the support she deserves!
The last loaf of bread baked in our old faithful s The last loaf of bread baked in our old faithful shacklock oven. Only baked one because all our bread tins are already in storage. This beauty shall help to feed us while our kitchen is ripped out and replaced! 🍞 #merchanthomestead #urbanhomestead #fromscratch #homemadefood #sourdough #bakingbread #sourdoughbread
The luffa grows! In amongst all the wintering and The luffa grows! In amongst all the wintering and waning, the luffa still grows. Will this one day be big enough to harvest? Only time will tell.
Mixing up a little sourdough for my Saturday, and Mixing up a little sourdough for my Saturday, and filling the house with fresh bread smells. What a joy ❤️🍞😊 #merchanthomestead #thegoodlife #urbanhomestead #fromscratch #homemadefood #sourdough #sourdoughbread #bakingbread #dough #mindfulness
A fistful of spice coming in from the greenhouse t A fistful of spice coming in from the greenhouse today 🤩🌶
We spent the weekend with friends away on Waiheke, We spent the weekend with friends away on Waiheke, lounging at the beach, baking bread, hunting Easter eggs and having a jolly old time. Meanwhile storm clouds had skirted around our edges and dumped a tropical cyclone on our little homestead. High winds, big rain, my little garden was left to fend for itself. I got out this morning to see how she fared and I will say, better than expected! A few pots blown over and vertical plants now sideways. The chicken fence barely standing but chickens still happily contained. And my beautiful bunch of bananas still happily dangling in the tree 😍🍌 Good job little homestead ❤️
Baking bread and sharing skills with beautiful fri Baking bread and sharing skills with beautiful friends... what better way to spend a long weekend! 🥰🍞 #thegoodlife #fromscratch #homemadefood #sourdough #focaccia #homesteading #qualitytime
It's that time of year where rain drops hang heavy It's that time of year where rain drops hang heavy in the asparagus ferns. We are braced for a storm this evening and while I wish all of you a safe and secure night, I'd also like to admire the beauty of our changing seasons, and the untamed world in which we still somehow live so comfortably. ❤️
Well, even though my luffa plant is very late to t Well, even though my luffa plant is very late to the party, it seems to be giving this fruiting thing a crack! I don't have high hopes but nothing's impossible 😆🥒
Shout out to the serrano! This plant has received Shout out to the serrano! This plant has received a number of shout outs this summer, I think, due to its ongoing tolerance, resilience, and understanding. I've been less than attentive, and by consequence, this plant, tucked in the shelter of the greenhouse, has been living in significant manmade drought conditions. Regardless, she continues to support my harvesting needs with these beautiful, spicy, sweet red numbers. Thank you for your commitment to the cause! 😍🌶🌶🌶
You know how some plants love to climb? They wrap You know how some plants love to climb? They wrap their little tendrils around and grip on as they work their way up. You wonder how they know to grab on. It is because of these teeny tiny little hairs, often hard to see, but in this moment, catching the light just perfectly. 🌱
Hello sweet friends! Some of you know with baby on Hello sweet friends! Some of you know with baby on the way, we're heading into renovations at our place, and so the time has come to sell our gorgeous antique stove. We've thrown it up on trademe and would love it to go to a loving home. If you know someone who loves antiques, European vintage, or just the most charming offgrid appliance you've ever seen - please pass this on to them. ❤️ Find it here https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/marketplace/antiques-collectables/appliances/listing/5253962517 or search 1920s Belgian Leuven oven stove #antique #offgrid #homesteading #vintage #Belgian
The rain has come! Hope you're snugged up cosy ins The rain has come! Hope you're snugged up cosy inside while your garden gets a nice watering 😊🌱🌧
Anyone else been fossicking around their feijoa tr Anyone else been fossicking around their feijoa trees today?! These beauts smell divine 😍
My bananas are looking so plump. My last bunch nev My bananas are looking so plump. My last bunch never made it this long and I am EXCITED 😍🍌
The broccoli are settling into their new outdoor h The broccoli are settling into their new outdoor home in fine form. They've already started decorating with their little dew drops every morning 🥰
The lawns are getting done today, possibly for the The lawns are getting done today, possibly for the first time all summer (actually, it's not even summer anymore). We've been otherwise occupied and things have just grown, as they do. So tonight was the beginning of the lawn wrangling, but before that could be done, just a moment to appreciate one of the cute little sprouts who have found their home here amongst the wild. 🌱
Somehow, I don't think these stripey bois are goin Somehow, I don't think these stripey bois are going to ripen up, but I don't have the heart to tear them out today 😅🍅
Autumn colours have arrived on the homestead, beau Autumn colours have arrived on the homestead, beautiful reds and oranges amongst the last of the greens. 🧡🍁
First harvest off the backyard feijoa trees today, First harvest off the backyard feijoa trees today, and they're teeny charming delicious balls of joy 🤩🥰
Forgot I planted a luffa quite some time ago. It'd Forgot I planted a luffa quite some time ago. It'd been buried under pickles n tomatoes for the summer, but now that those have come out.. we have surprise luffa flowers! 🤣 Most likely too late to grow anything harvestable but they look pretty cool none the less.
It's been a rainy old autumn week in the big smoke It's been a rainy old autumn week in the big smoke, and I haven't had very much time outside, but tonight there was a little break. I ventured out into the cool evening air and spent just a while amongst the long grass and gardens. There's still little sniffs of summer holding on, like this little tomato blossom, heavy from the rain. 😊
Mix up a couple of sourdough loaves with me 😊 Mix up a couple of sourdough loaves with me 😊 #merchanthomestead #thegoodlife #fromscratch #homemadefood #sourdough #bakingbread #sourdoughbread #homebaking
My little welcome home from the feijoa tree 🥰 My little welcome home from the feijoa tree 🥰
Getting some pep in my step and giving the chicken Getting some pep in my step and giving the chicken house a good clean. It's super easy with our new style coop, dump the bedding trays, hose off and water blast any grubby bits, leave to dry (and let a chicken perch a while) and then fresh bedding and back together. Happy nesting, my flock! 😊🐔🐓 #merchanthomestead #thegoodlife #urbanhomestead #mybackyard #chickensofinstagram #backyardchickens #cleaning #yardwork #homesteading
New sprout coming to Merchant Homestead this winte New sprout coming to Merchant Homestead this winter ❤️
Pickled the last jar of gherkins for the season on Pickled the last jar of gherkins for the season on the weekend before tearing out the plants to make way for something new. There were just a couple of tiny fruit still left so into the jar they went. I'm sure I've seen teeny tiny snack gherkins on fancy platters before, so hopefully that's where these lil beauties are headed! 😆🥒
I think it's time to acknowledge this beauty, whic I think it's time to acknowledge this beauty, which is my serrano chilli. It's taller than me (not hard), has been neglected many a time, shrivelled, blown over and yet still gets up again, and has started churning out these spicy little numbers like it's going out of fashion. What a star 🌶🤩 #merchanthomestead #thegoodlife #urbanhomestead #mybackyard #harvest #chillies #growingfood #gardening
Load More Follow on Instagram

Post Archive by Month

  • August 2024
  • May 2024
  • March 2024
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022

Post Archive by Tag

Autumn Baking Berries Bread Cake Chickens Cocktail Community Companion Dinner Drink Easy Eggs Flowers Fruit Fruit trees Gardening Healthy Herbs Kumara Lemon Low sugar Low waste Mandarin Onion Pest Control Pickling Planning Potato Potatoes Preserving Pruning Recipe Salad Seeds Slice Snack Soil Soup Sourdough Spring Summer Tomatoes Trees winter

Subscribe

Thank you for subscribing!

Subscribe

Sign up for our newsletter and stay up to date

*
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
©2025 Merchant Homestead | WordPress Theme by SuperbThemes