Building Wild Woods: From 3 Beds to 50 and Beyond

When my husband and I first set foot on our 75-acre homestead in East Texas, tucked right against the border of the Davy Crockett National Forest, I knew life was about to change. The towering pines, the wildlife, and the fertile potential of this land called us to dream bigger than we ever imagined. What began as a simple plan for a few raised beds quickly turned into a vision: 50 raised beds, filled with rich, living soil and planted with food and medicine for body and soul.

Why Raised Beds?

Raised beds offer more than just neat garden rows. They:

• Improve drainage in Texas' rich soils blessed by plentiful rain.

• Create structure and organization for planting rotations.

• Provide a way to control weeds with mulch and ground cover.

• Allow me to experiment with guilds of medicinal herbs, pollinator-friendly flowers, and heirloom vegetables side by side.

But most importantly, they represent resilience. Each bed is a little ecosystem, a microcosm of the regenerative practices we’re committed to at Wild Woods.

The Process: From Empty Land to Living Soil

We started with raw space—soggy ground, roots, crawdad mounds, and weeds. Every bed was framed, filled, and layered with brown paper, compost, forest mulch, and Nature’s Way soil. This blend mimics the forest floor itself, where organic matter constantly breaks down to feed the next generation of life.

Then came the mulching—pine needles from the property, wood chips, and organic straw, locking in moisture and feeding the soil life below. Each step reminded us of our partnership with the land: we don’t dominate it, we collaborate with it.

What We’re Growing

The raised beds became home to both heirloom vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, peppers, greens) and a vast array of medicinal herbs. Some beds are devoted to pollinator allies like calendula, echinacea, and bee balm, while others house perennials like rosemary, skullcap, and St. John’s wort.

Across the property, we’ve also planted fruit and nut trees, established a growing apothecary garden, and given our bees a steady buffet of flowering plants. Together, it’s becoming a living classroom—an experiment in how a homestead can feed people while regenerating the forest ecosystem around it.Write your text here...

From Soil to Apothecary

One of the most rewarding parts of Wild Woods is that the harvest doesn’t stop in the garden. Just steps away, we have a Texas-permitted commercial kitchen, where I handcraft all of our herbal remedies, teas, tinctures, elixirs, and body butters.

Every calendula bloom, every root of comfrey, every sprig of rosemary is carefully dried, infused, blended, or extracted to become part of our apothecary line—remedies designed to support wellness while honoring the land they came from. This full-circle approach means our products are not only handcrafted but grown, harvested, and created with integrity right here at Wild Woods.

Living Beside the National Forest

One of the greatest blessings of Wild Woods is our location. Sharing a boundary with the Davy Crockett National Forest means our garden hums with diversity. Wildlife wander close to the fence line, beneficial insects thrive, and the air feels fresher under the canopy of pines.

It also means we feel a responsibility: our work here must not only sustain us but also protect the land and the greater ecosystem we’re part of. Every choice—whether it’s organic seed sourcing, composting, or pest management—is guided by that principle.

Dreams Growing Bigger

What began as three little beds has now grown into 50+ raised beds—and we’re not stopping there. We’ve cleared new ground for in-ground medicinal plots, planted mimosa and witch hazel trees, and are creating space for roots like comfrey, goldenrod, and pleurisy root.

Each season, the garden becomes more vibrant: calendula petals bright against the mulch, bees feasting on anise hyssop, tomatoes ripening under the Texas sun. Every plant tells the story of a family finding its roots in new soil, of a homestead learning from the wisdom of the forest, and of dreams that keep expanding—Texas style.

Why We Share This Journey

From Naples, Italy, where I grew up, to the pine woods of East Texas, my journey has always circled back to wholesome food, herbs, and healing. Wild Woods is more than a homestead; it’s a vision of how tending the land can heal both soil and soul.

Through our gardens and our handcrafted remedies, we hope to inspire others to grow their own food and medicine, to reconnect with the rhythms of nature, and to see that regeneration is not just possible—it's necessary.

So whether you're following along on Instagram, visiting us at the farmers' market, or reading this blog, thank you for walking with us. This is only the beginning.

Ready to experience the plants of Wild Woods in your own home? 🌱 All of our teas, tinctures, elixirs, and body butters are handcrafted in our Texas-permitted commercial kitchen using herbs grown right here on our 75-acre homestead. Explore the apothecary and bring the forest’s healing power to your daily wellness ritual.

👉 Shop Wild Woods Apothecary Remedies