about me

Hi everyone, I’m Claire!

I am a thirty-something gardener, cook, artist, creative,

DIYer, growing my dream life in Denver, Colorado!

I spent years working as a cook in restaurant kitchens, a freelance flower designer, and artist, leading a high-stress lifestyle. My health let me know it was time to make some life changes when I developed autoimmune disease and insulin resistance. I knew I needed to focus on what heals my body and fills my soul with joy: gardening, delicious healthy food, plants, and creating beautiful spaces.

My boyfriend Ian and I made a brief move from Denver to a rural mountain community just to see if country life was the way to go, but we decided mountain life just wasn’t for us. I absolutely love city life, so we intentionally found a property that would give us the best of worlds, the excitement and food scene of a city with the peace and connection to nature we love and crave.

About Balsamroot Urban Farmhouse

We bought Balsamroot Urban Farmhouse in April 2023 with the dream of healing a dusty city lot, transforming a cute brick bungalow into a gorgeous urban farmhouse, and creating a little farm and garden in our own backyard.

When we first moved into the farmhouse, the front and back yards were dusty and had a creepy, lifeless feel. There were no birds in our trees or beneficial insects, just dust and weeds. We worked on battling weeds in both the front and back yards, removing sterile landscaping, dyed mulch, an excess of weed barrier, and yard game structures (Bocce court, horseshoe court, beer rail) to make more space to grow food.

I planted perennial flowers and flower seeds in the front yard to attract pollinators and to add some much-needed color to our landscape. At the end of May 2023, we threw together a vegetable garden, and although it wasn’t very productive, we were able to enjoy many veggies throughout the season. I dug in a small pond liner and created a small pond, complete with fish and some aquatic plants. We observed what areas of our yard get sun throughout the year and let our dog Butter (no roux yet) make trails and choose his favorite places.

We chose to improve our soil quality by laying down cardboard to suppress the weeds and by covering it with natural mulch. In autumn, we allowed the leaves to cover the mulch, and we then used a second layer of mulch to weigh the leaves down. The soil after our first winter is now rich and full of worms, perfect for creating the perfect base layer for a new and improved garden that we built and planted for summer 2024!

Our plans for Balsamroot Urban Farmhouse are always changing and growing. We are always adding new plants and new spaces within our yard as well as making plans to add fruit trees, chickens, and quails, and a greenhouse!

Join Us on Our Journey

Follow along for gardening inspiration, practical tips, DIY projects, wellness practices, seasonal recipes, and more! I'd love to hear from you too—share your own gardening experiences, ask questions, or simply connect over our mutual passion for urban farming.

Let’s grow together and explore the joys of cultivating a sustainable and fulfilling urban farming lifestyle. Don't forget to subscribe to my blog and follow me on social media for updates and to join the conversation!Follow along for gardening inspiration, gardening tips, DIY projects, gardening wellness practices, seasonal recipes, and so much more! Join us as we continue this journey to realize our urban farming lifestyle.

Follow Us on Pinterest and Intsagram for more content and inspiration!