4 Year Garden Evolution | How to Start a Garden from Scratch on a Budget
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- Опубліковано 5 лют 2025
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At the beginning of 2020, I started a vegetable and fruit garden practically for free using materials found in the forest - soil, compost, mulch, carbon, fertilizer and wood.
I cleared 1/4 of an acre of deciduous forest and built hugelkultur mounds and raised beds to grow an abundance of vegetables in the 1st year. In the following 3 years, I started spending money to build up the infrastructure for a productive food forest system that my family can benefit from for generations. Today, we’re harvesting our first fruit from the trees and harvesting an abundance of berries, vegetables and eggs as well as wild game from the surrounding forest.
Log Cabin Building, Bushcraft, Survival Skills, Cooking, Canadian Wilderness, Off Grid Living, Homesteading
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Hi, I'm Shawn James. I am a passionate outdoorsman living the life of my dreams in a log cabin that I built by myself in the Canadian wilderness. Join me and my golden retriever, Cali and listen to the sounds of the forest in this relaxing wilderness setting. I prefer to keep my talking to a minimum and let the natural sounds of nature make you feel as though you are there with me.
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200 Manitoba St., Unit 3, Suite 415
Bracebridge, ON P1L 2E2
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My Self Reliance/Shawn James
200 Manitoba St., Unit 3, Suite 415
Bracebridge, ON P1L 2E2
From from every shovel full of dirt, slurry mix, wheelbarrow of sifted dirt, every stone and stump removal, you've created a spectacular garden. You and your family are an incredible inspiration. Thank you from BC
You have my utmost respect. I've tried to accomplish something similar and have been an almost total failure. My entire garden has been decimated by rabbits, voles, and squirrels who have destroyed the whole thing; I dread going out every morning to see the latest damage. They eat the chard, collards, turnips, rutabagas, beans, spinach, and beets the moment they germinate, and they bite off the larger established plants - brassicas especially - and leave them lying on the ground without even eating them. I have a chicken wire fence, and have tried chili oil, blood meal, urine, and bird netting (the squirrels chew through it), to no avail. I'm getting disheartened, so it's wonderful to see your videos and know that somehow, someday, maybe...
I can relate. It's very frustrating to spend all that time, energy, and resources, only to have wildlife decimate your veg.
Don't give up. Learn and upgrade your defenses.
@@kevinschmidt4903there is bound to be something to do to prevent what your experiencing.. I know he took it down but to have some sort of protection that you can afford have to talk about with the locals.. …
Electric fence works wonders.
Get a guard dog.
You wouldve only been a failure if you didnt try! Forest critters are something else. Raised beds on legs would do away with burrowing animals and then you could teepee fencing or mesh screen over the raised beds to keep out other critters.
I love watching channels like this as I can watch them with my grandchildren, teaches them so much about nutrition, nature as much as it teaches them about about family values. So yes one of the best channels on you tube ❤thank you so much. My boys just love your channel
You are one amazing guy SHAWN. To go from some acres you purchased in the CANADIAN woods to what you have now is absolutely
a tribute to your skills and determination. I'm sure that having something like YOU-TUBE helps a lot to finance everything, but not everybody could do what you've done in only a few years.. ....My hat is off to you SHAWN and i'm loving each new vlog you send out.
Wonderful news…for you & your family! I lost 67 pounds (carnivore diet) Great results! May God continue to bless your beautiful family & pup dog too! ☺️👍🏻
Just to think Shaun used to be a suit wearing business owner and now he is someone I am inspired to be. Beautiful man!
He had a roofing company. Hardly white collar boy.
@@marlan5470 umm, you clearly haven’t been a subscriber very long. He absolutely used suit wearing business man. He even adds clips of himself from back in the day. The roofing company was only one of many ventures he’s had.
I was here years ago watching you build your house up i am glad to be here again to see the amount of love that went into your place God bless you and your family.
Amém
I watch every video I can find. Your choice for life off grid is an inspiration. Wish I was 30 or 40 years younger, because this is how I wished life could be. Thank you for sharing your amazing journey and talent.
Goodbye insomnia, a new video on my favorite channel that I fall asleep to like a baby 💤
I'm amazed that you managed to grow a fluorishing garden in the forest, where the soil is packed full of roots and there are lots of critters out and about. it must be so rewarding to see the fruits of your labors (figuratively and literally) over the course of 4 years! your dog is so cute too, always just hovering nearby. great video 🫶
Look at that! 2.18! People everywhere want a better life of good labor, honesty, integrity.
This is the exact example that I needed for motivation. Am happy following you Shawn. BTW, I'm Marie from SABAH BORNEO. Simply put, I am doing all this at the moment. Slowly but surely,one step at a time. 💪🙏
I love this review format. I've watched them all as you posted but great to remember all that went into it. Well done.
Sent your video to my son. We open garden right now. 45'x75'. It may help him with our gardening projects. Good beginnings for all out there.
I love watching channels like this as I can watch them with my grandchildren,
Nothing more that I can say that someone else hasn't already said three times over, so I merely say, THANK YOU for sharing your life with us.
The evolution of your garden is so impressive! You’ve shown that with dedication and a little planning, anyone can create a thriving garden from scratch.
Shawn, i love you. Been watching you for about 4 years. I love your sensible advice and effort to educate everyone about simple living and self reliance. I just want to say that recently there has been a lot of discussion about AG1 and its benefits. Especially the price of it. Also there's a lot of chat about the owner of the company and his criminal background. I think you owe it to your viewers to point out that your experience is somewhat anecdotal before you are a victim of a similar situation as the UA-camrs that promoted that Scottish lord scam last year. I will continue to watch you with enthusiasm and don't care about your sponsorships. I'm a huge fan. Ijust don't want some people to be convinced to buy 100$ worth of powder to replace a few vegetables from their garden.
I totally agree. Sad to see such a wonderful channel with great content turn into an info commercial. FIVE minutes worth. I don't mind the embedded endorsements ads on the Shawn James channel. But My Self Reliance has always been above that. I sure wish Mr. James would do some research about AG1. It's just a drink potion, with highly questionable benefits. Something a snake oil salesman would hawk. Other UA-camrs have also promoted this powder. Like many they fall victim to the UA-cam money and endorsement money. Just remember it's the healthy actual food that is providing any health benefits. Not AG1. And yes it's expensive.
I take a Trace Mineral tablet containing 60 mins everyday in addition to mag., sod., pot., cal., D3 K2Mk7, plus keto diet and my labs are perfect. Much cheaper than AGI. I am 81 years old.
SHAWN & OUR CALI !!! PLUS EMILY !!! Hey there It is great to see the garden growing so tall & strong !!! I see the Corn taken by racoons and am thinking of my 7 ft fence here around my garden !!! Have saw racoons & squirrels go up the 7 ft fence at times !!! Squirrels are the 1st I am after the most as they go along the highline wires to the Garage then FLY INTO the garden !!! Eat their fill then out of the garden climbing the fence then !!! Little OLD LADY in me gets mad at them !!! Neighbors just love to see me yelling at them squirrels !!! I fixed them this year got a wire over the garden now !!!
Everyone has their reasons for applauding all you do, Shawn. For me, as a lifelong gardener, I've always resonated most with your and you family's gardens. I also have lived in cabins so its been awesome to watch your builds. And don't get me started on your cooking!! In short, THANK YOU!!!! 👍😎🇨🇦
Shawn, is there any chance you might give us some insights into your food processing, storage and canning methods this fall? I love your compilation videos....seeing the garden now, and seeing the raw forest it came from is inspiring.
I forgot about all the work you did to establish that garden. That’s quite an accomplishment.
[2:34] The way you explained that concept was so clear and easy to understand. Great job! 👍
I love watching shwan do the things he does i see he can do a lot of things what a beautiful garden and home you have hued of of the forest thank you fir your veidos
hi shawn,
what a great harvest for verry hard work. i love to see your sucess in planting. big wishes from bavaria in germany,
björn from munich
Thanks for your videos..love the cold snow from the warm of my Florida home..lol..originally from Michigan. I'm 67 retired, got bored and your adventures made me decide to build another house. This will be one of many I built over the years. It will be totally built by me ( other than slab concrete pour). Love the picking music. ❤
Thank you for the update, Shawn, much appreciated. Absolutely wonderful to see the magic you have created, absolutely marvellous. (I have high BP& cholesterol and desperate to get off prescription drugs. I will try the AG1 and see how it goes.)
Watch Dr. Eric Berg and Barbara O'Neill
I love these videos for other reasons being that I'm an aspirant homesteader but i just love idea of how to's on a budget requiring massive land with lumber to manually source as if the majority of people have that luxury.
Shawn,I appreciate you so much! I don’t care how old I get , I am still learning and thankful to Our Heavenly Father for allowing me to work outside and in the garden! God bless you and your family! I have said this before , I know your mom and dad are so proud of you! A caring son who is thoughtful and considerate!
You are that way making videos to teach others! Never change ! We all appreciate you!🧚🏻🧚🏻🧚🏻❤️
Thank you for sharing God and all the blessings and love He has given you, Rebecca
Wuuuaooo looks like very healthy Veggies 👍🥰🤠
love what you do! One of the best moves i made this year on raised beds was to employ a weed burner in the fall after harvest was taken in! even the roots were slashed and burned! This returned all unused calories to the soil in a form that could be easily recovered! the second benefit was all weed roots and seeds were killed 1000% in the spring the soils were easily stirred and planted aged manure [June 2023 to May 2024] was applied about 6 bags per 200 square feet raised bed! the results were corn 8 feet high and tasseled by July the 4th...tomatoes towers 6 feet high radishes even celery from used root stocks fully developed! got in some asperges let you know next year if God is willing how that did! near zero weeding! The only reason was the calorie dense soils of raised bed gardening!
Nice to see the evolution of your garden! The best part is that you started using your garden very early on when all you had was mounds. It really goes to show that one can start very simply and improve their garden's infrastructure as they go. Thank your for the upload Shawn have a good weekend & take care.
I have a number of raised gardens made using macrocapa timber which theoretically has a life of at least 15 years (I am hoping for 25 years because I have used quite thick timber). However galvanized steel nails do not last that long. So I have used stainless steel screws wherever possible. Takes slightly longer to install but should last a lot longer. Plus they are easier to remove when I make modifications or changes. I mainly use torx heads which, so far, still allow removal 10 years later.
The Nature Videos with music you used to make? 2-3 years ago we’re aswsome! With the drone extra. Bring back the old days❤
So obvious Shawn is completely happy for his and his family's health, and wants to tell the good news, shouting it from the housetops!! I'm thrilled for them as well, with AG1. So he can get in total health and once the supplement is in short supply or non-existent as many things in our future will be, he and his family can rely on the minerals and vitamins to meet all their nutrition needs from garden, orchard, wild harvest, etc.
Прекрасный огородик , красивый , ухоженный. Молодцы.🌹🌹🌹
I'm going into my 3rd year with my homestead, and I used mostly growing bags for now to keep my cost down with soil that I have to truck in, cause everything here is clay and rocks. Me well goes in at the end of August and that is costing me lots of money. I am however starting to build garden out of the grow bags, but I still have a long ways to go for a food forest here. I'm learning with your help on your homestead. Thank you.
This man has unbelievable fortitude.
Great video Shawn. Love the chicken coop. Looks so homey.
Loved everything you are doing. Being sustainable and all your hard work-so rewarding. Wonderful filming! You are an inspiration to all. Thankyou-so enjoyed it.
You're doing a great job, Shawn. Am really deep impressed of what you did from start until today. Your first cabin and first homestead, and now, this house and all around. It's a BIG work Shawn. God bless you every day. I like watch every movie you show here.
I'm also trying to watch Shawn James' channel, but English is not my native language, so I have trouble understanding because you speak at a normal speed and I still need someone to talk to me slowly to understand. But I keep trying to watch with the hope that one day I will understand everything you say. You once said something to Cally that sounded like a Polish word. Like a truly Polish word, with clear Polish pronunciation of soft consonants. I was surprised. But I don't know, was it a Polish word really, or something similar, only. You know Polish, Shawn, maybe you speak Polish?
Take care of yourself.
wow wow, vous êtes un modèle pour chacun de nous ! très très admirative..je suis toujours entrain de réorganiser mon potager..les pieds de tomates que j'ai, sont des semis que mon petit fils Antoine m'a faits! vous avez repris votre santé en main, vous n'avez jamais baissé les bras ..je suis très fière de faire partie de vos fans...félicitations Shawn, bon courage et bonne continuation...votre vidéo est magnifique!! merci.🤩
As always, I enjoy your content very much. To see you accomplish all that you have, is amazing. Such a damn fine job. I think you are definitely on the right track for you and your family’s future. BTW… I hope Emily’s recovery is going well. Concussive injuries, I can tell you from personal experience, seem to take forever to heal. Best of luck to her. Thanks for sharing.
Only old gardeners would know how difficult it was to grow in a forest. Your accomplishments are outstanding! The only thing that could have made it easier for you was the layers of compost on the forest floor, everything else was a labor of love.
I really like that soil sifting system you have
Beautiful. I was reminded of ash from our wood stove. Seeing the back story of your endeavors and your integrity is refreshing. Thank you
Great video production as usual. It's been fun to see the garden progress over the years.
Extraordinary vision and determination to the task at hand. I hope you wake up everyday with a tremendous sense of achievement. We'll done Sir!
I watch a fair ammount of UA-cam and Shawn James is always the first ones i click on! Keep up the good work young man!!😅❤
Yes sir beautiful bounty!! You're doin it an doin it and doin it WELL!!!!!
✌️❤️🕯️
Be with you always in ALL ways!!
awesome Sean your so smart to do this with the world going crazy and upside down, I should know I am experiencing this in the USA....God will get us through but I would love a family homestead but unfortunetly I am 79 and unable but I do all I can here in a HOA situation to grow my own food, preserve, solar generator and all emergency products I canadian friends....love you guys!
That dog gets brushed a lot, excellent work on both the garden and the dog. I be building one of those sifters this week.
Your gardens are amazing!
Your videos are great. Wishing you and your family health and safety.❤❤❤
I knew this is a while back, but I have to subscribe due to your excellent gardening skills .. quick question 🙋♀️ where you ever a gardener before your business’s back in the days or you acquire such a skills doing this first time gardening experiences.. WOW Endless food supplies and there’s always a plan B and you did it flawlessly with your fams. Truly incredible and inspiring to even myself as a small indoor’s 5shelf 😊gardener with big dream and only feels I can do it in my father’s birth country Guyana 🇬🇾.. hopefully I can learn a lot from your homesteading to min in a few years more here 🇨🇦 and getting all my seeds etc (garden tools) with my green thumb 👍 ready as my soul is calling to do so ASAP. Because I don’t have the money to do so here at home in Canada 🇨🇦 for a home stead even smaller than yours. You done well truly Amen 🙏
Have been watching since the beginning! Remember this garden…….
You've inspired me to start my garden again. It's not a forest. It's a yard full of weeds. I wish I could find men like you who can build these things. I can do the canning and drying. I just need a root cellar. Animal Husbandry is an old term for men that did these things for the family.
this is the type of content i live for
Отличный урожай зелени, это впш труд😊
I really believe that I do not have green fingers. I cannot grow vegetables. They always rot 😢 I envy your garden. But I can grow flowers.
Increïble lo que habéis echo en ese valle o montaña. Felicidades. Un abrazo desde Catalunya ❤ (Spain)
Quite the abundance and to think we didn't see all this work on top of your cabin garden
Note better than digging in the dirt and amending it for a sustainable food source.
Amazing job... continue take care yourself and your family with gardern green
Greatgarden. I think you should mulch your plants with the dried leaves you have access to in unlimited abundance. That would be better for your soil, and you know nothing has been sprayed on them, unlike hay. I get great results here in Edmonton Ab Canada doing that, and my garden is 100% organic and weed free. Pile up 4 feet of dry leaves in the fall after the harvest and once the garic has been planted. That is Halloween night here. Then, put a few stick on the windy spots to keep the leaves in place. In spring plant. I remove the leaves to plant carrots and put them back once carrots are up. I leave them on the garlic, perennial onion & perennial greens, rhubarb and currents raspberries etc. I plant squash seedlings right into a hole in the leaves and same for tomatoes. Then push more leaves around the plants. Your garden will never dry out. I add ash like you right on top of the leaves every fall. Cheers
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan here. I harvest and bag most leaves in spring and include a smallish bucket of compost and bucket of water, then spread after 30 days. Lie them flat on slight hold and turn every week. Then put around plants. Extra leaves go on front facing (North) garden and rock gardens. Live in oldest part of city, on roads built on really old South Saskatchewan River grid style. But theu cross 3 old indigenous trails this my daughter and I have qto backyard. Ditto side yard and half a block front yard. Trying to create yards that take care of themselves as I'm now 80. Daughter 50.
@janecorcoran663 I am in the oldest part of Edmonton which 8s called Strathcona. It is like living in a forest. Sounds like we think alike, but then fools seldom differ 😆
Thank you for reminding me the way my folks used to do it. Altho, those masked bandits are relentless, we had our own special way of dealing with them.
This is ART.
Whoever does your videos, Does a wonderful job and with the music...
Thanks for the video Shawn. Happy weekend!
Это же сколько труда вложено!!! Все работы вручную. Моё уважение!
Ну не все вручную У Шона в собственности достаточно много техники
WOW. You guys did way more than the usual . Congratulations!!! How do you keep the wild critters out. My garden was totally eaten by a variety of wildlife. We had it fenced and everything. The last straw was when the groundhogs dug under the fence.
Thanks for the video brother 😎
Hello bonjour from France ,
Qu’il est beau et impressionnant ce jardin.
Il évolue vraiment bien .
Beau travail 👍🏻
Qué bonito trabajo lo Felicito y se disfruta de lo que realiza siempre admirable...
This is so motivational! Truly amazing work!
Hace sños que veo sus videos y tengo que felicitarle por tanto trabajo y dedicación a todas las cosas que hace
Felicidades 🎉
I love it I am working my way to a beautiful productive garden
Отлично, сколь сделано много вашими руками😊
Greetings from Polish village ;)
Growing a garden out in the forest would be really great
have a great time with your garden thanks.🇨🇦🍅🌶️🫑🥕🇨🇦
Amazing! Please share what you have changed in your diet as well!
I would love a video with details about your diet. It sounds like it's maybe paleo???
This is what really God wants us to do, be smart, and use all His resources mightily. Sure Shawn is the most contented nd happiest man ever lived ❤
When I saw you trying to grow corn, I thought, "Good luck. Squirrels or racoons will find a way." Almost impossible to stop them.
...have enjoyed your videos since the first cabin build...😂.
I'd forgotten you started with Hugelkultur mounds. The amount of effort you've put in over the years to improve the ground has also really paid off, it looks like you have some wonderful soil now. Very impressive as always, although 4 years seem to have absolutely flown by!
Quick question re the root cellar under the shed: Does it keep a consistent temperature like the cellar at the cabin, or is it more variable?
A little more variable and it dropped down to freezing the first year
@@MySelfReliance Interesting, i assume that's improved what with the building on top? Glad you've got the other option though!
Думаю Вам надо пчёл завести. Вам это это очень подойдет. Пчёлы главное на нашей планете.
Please post what a daily diet for you consists of daily weekly.Thank you.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us
If I was a man I would do the same - living in the middle of nowhere with my dogs, building own cabin, growing own vegetables. What a dream!
Only your dogs 🤔🤔
I do not know where you get the idea women can’t do it because women are doing it. I must admit not to the extent as Shawn is because Shawn is an amazing man he is doing it with all the old ways physical manual labour by hand I respect him as all his followers do for the man he is. I live alone as many women do have the responsibility of doing everything on my own including all the manual labour. I have a garden. You have to enjoy being physically active being busy love what you do. I do love my life it was my choice to live on a mountain by a lake on my own. I am happy grateful every day of my life appreciate my life my way of living my life. We were given life for a reason to enjoy be happy. The greatest gift we can ever ask for happiness, contentment. ❤
Absolutely!@@mildredmorine745
@@mildredmorine745 I did not talk about all women. I said it about myself. It's huge difference having a garden in your backyard and living in the wilderness of nowhere, it's a big difference to fix something in your house and build a cabin from the scratch. And, the most important, even I could do it, I would not. I believe that it's men job and as a women I would stick to my female activities. It's my believe, and I don't need a lecture about feminism and such.
That's very sexist
Here is Shawn James and Cali working hard to rebuild a garden to produce good food for his family and Cali working hard to keep Shawn busy with his exercise of throwing her toys
Well done!! Amazing garden amigo!
I feel like I'm right there on the farm with you 0:53 12:10 26:25
Really enjoyed this video, thank-you for sharing.
Thank you , Shawn .
🐺Loupis Canis .
From seed and plants grow reproductions of their former selves thanks in part to Mother Natures helping hands.
HI SHAWN AND CALI I HOPE YOU ARE STRONG AND HEALTHY
@Cha.t_myself_relianceI SUFFERED TOO MANY UNFORTUNATE SITUATIONS LATELY ANYWAY I AM INTERESTED IN THIS STUFF MIND YOU I HAVE CONTROLLED HIGH PRESSURE I WOULD BE PLEASED IF YOU GIVE SOME TIPS I.E . HOW AND WHEN I CAN GET IT ETC I COME FROM CYPRUS BY THE WAY
13:00 holy cow! Shaun in starting to get ripped. All that physical work is shaving years of your age. Looking great sir!
I've felt how pests eat my plants🦴maybe next time I should plant edamame corn🤝
What a fantastic Video. Your skills and knowledge are amazing and inspiring. All thanks to a bankruptcy. Live long and continue,Shawn.