We Turned Abandoned Land Into a Dream Garden! Off-Grid Homestead Italy
hey everyone, this week we’re building our second massive terrace by hand on our off-grid homestead in rural italy! we’re turning abandoned land into our dream garden paradise – transforming our steep 5-acre property with terraced growing spaces and pathways for our permaculture food forest. our off-grid homestead journey continues as we hand-build another huge terrace on our sloped hillside. this episode shows the reality of homestead life – the hard physical work of moving earth, building retaining walls and creating the systems we need to grow our own food.
this week’s homestead projects include:
🏗️ building our second major terrace by hand
🪨 laying stone retaining walls
🛤️ creating pathways with bamboo and materials
⛏️ hand-digging and leveling steep terrain
🌱 adding organic matter and compost to soil
🪵 moving heavy materials across the property
💪 creating a relaxation platform with bench area
all work done by hand on our off-grid italian homestead – digging, carrying materials uphill and building the terraced garden spaces we need for self-sufficient living. every terrace brings us closer to our goal of growing our own food and living self-sufficiently in rural italy.
thanks for being here, thanks for watching, emily & robi.
00:00 welcome to our off-grid homestead
00:42 starting our newest project
01:17 building a massive terrace
03:17 moving materials
04:13 creating a pathway
05:07 finishing wall construction
07:00 creating a seating area
08:13 moving heavy materials across property
10:10 finishing the pathway
12:26 terrace construction continues
16:09 leveling and preparing soil
17:33 adding organic matter to soil
19:09 expanding the terrace
22:14 final steps: compost and mulch
24:04 installing bamboo pathway
25:06 project complete!
📍southern italy | 🏡off-grid living | ☀️100% solar powered
#offgrid #offgridhomestead #homesteading #italy #permaculture #buildingahomestead #offgridliving #regenerativeliving
35 Comments
😊👏🏻 complimenti
Wonderful work with the terraces. Good job Guys!
I'm amazed at how malleable the soil is, and there are no stones to dig out. But that is why you are building brick terraces!
Hey everyone, we hope you enjoy this video of our next big garden construction! ♥ what was your favourite part?
Hello Madam/Sir,
You mentioned having spent all your savings; this often happens in renovations. It took me seven years to completely finish my house. Don't get discouraged, because you'll find things to do later with what you can find.
Sincerely, Henri (France)
Your raised beds are looking great. I hope they produce more than you can manage and I am looking forward to seeing that happen. You might want to consider a bench in the shade as well. Sometimes the sun feels good and sometimes you want to hide from it.
😍
You and hubby work well together. Love your playful moments. You bring a much needed smile to my day. 🫶
The dancing gardener
Wow, you did so much already! I think it looks beautiful.
Emily, great job on stacking the wall! Tell Roberto he should now certify you as a "Certified Brick Layer", with a official certificate 😂😂😂!
Also ich finde ihr werdet jede Woche besser👍👌.Respekt, das ihr zu zweit diesen riesigen Mast quer über's Grundstück geschleppt habt!! Liebe Grüße
Great work with the terracing. 👏🏼 Great content as always, so inspiring! 🫶🏻
A great job you guys are doing, keep your backs straight if lifting heavy things, than you will have many more heavy activities together.
I love the terrace and garden you are building, can’t wait for the vegetables to be planted etc.
Great video thank you
I love the terraces and all the hard work your doing, the bench area once made will be such a beautiful spot to sit and have a cuppa with a stunning view and to look back on all the hard work you did to make the terraces, just wonderful eh ! See ya next time 💞xxx
Great video – loved the part where Emily graduates to a full fledge bricklayer – great video – thanks so much for sharing
Doesn’t look like the tunnel has had wooden frames added at the end for reinforcement. Maybe next episode. 😮
❤
Alot of back breaking work!!!! Your efforts will reward you with many beautiful bushes etc. The bench will be wonderful.. even if you have barking dogs to hear..😂❤
Modern day terracing – it looks good – it looks right for the landscape – recreate the hanging gardens of Babylon ? 😊
Some cascading plants over the blocks would look lovely. Soo much potential.
I keep saying it, but those blocks are lovely
A lot of work 😳 for agriculture
Not just theory. It works beautifully. I've used that method for nearing a decade to build out beds around my house and have produced phenomenal soil I grow in year round. It takes a couple years to really kick in but during that initial 2 yrs, I steadily amended the beds with sand, perlite, compost, leaf mulch, pine straw, horse manure and other yard waste. Over time, I've built my own version of super soil complete with tons of super fat earthworms some 8 – 10 inches long. Invest in building your soil. Better soil means happier, more fruitful plants. Beautiful job with the garden build!! ❤❤
@Another Homestead – To improve your compost garden, you need to buy a garden mulcher machine. Your soil condition will improve much quicker. Carboard is another great garden compost. Anyway, an electric garden mulcher example video is below.
This is an electric garden mulcher.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyAawLMx63k
Amazing work – lovely terraces! They will look so amazing when they are all filled with plants.
Memang jika kita memiliki uang serta kemauan dan niat.. apapun akan terwujud..
You're doing a great job
Wonderful video and heaps accomplished you guys. Go Emily with your wall building/retaining wall! I’m impressed and it motivates me to continue on and do mine. The terraces are so well planned and it’s clear to see that you are looking at the long term for the health of your garden beds and soil and optimising the use of your land. I’m excited to watch each week and have now got my husband hooked as well. 😊
Well done. Have you tried soaking the peas in water before you plant them? They will germinate quicker
A tip for moving a wheelbarrow uphill..
Try pulling it backwards.( You leading pulling barrow after).
You do need to teach him the lyrics to Step In Time 😬
Great work guys – the terraces are looking good! What are the blocks made of, are they natural quarrried stone or some kind of limestone concrete? Are they expensive where you are? Either way, it's an impressive project (love your victory dances!), and it's a great investment in your future on the land. Good luck with your pioneer crops. 😘
Tremendous effort for a fantastic designed garden
My fav parts are your dance moves and of course Cappucino!
Great work, looks awesome 💪🏻