Growing chickpeas or garbanzo beans is part of my growing legumes project. I have been curious about what legumes can we grow in our cold climate and short growing season. In an urban garden, we do not have space to grow all our legumes, and that was not the goal. I wanted to see what can be grown ...
Gardening
Growing Sunchokes or Jerusalem Artichokes
Sunchokes or also known as Jerusalem Artichokes have a mixed reputation among gardeners. There are those that say Jerusalem Artichokes will always feed you and those that would never grow them in a food production garden. Let's take a closer look into growing Sunchokes or Jerusalem Artichokes, the ...
Update on the Field Garden
Three years ago we converted a hayfield into a garden. It was a no-till garden trial, part of the local community garden. Neither the field nor the garden belongs to us. So we got to work with what was there. It was a very interesting experience, and we learned a lot. It's time for an update on the ...
12 Favorites to Grow in the Garden
Fall update on our 12 favorites to grow in the garden. Every year we grow annual vegetable plants that don't do well in our climate. I must admit that during a long winter and a dozen catalog dreams, we tend to forget it and plant it all over again. This year I wanted to record what really is worth ...
Preparing the Garden for Winter
Preparing the garden for winter is important for the garden soil and the perennial plants. We are in Zone 3 meaning winter temperature can drop to -40 degrees. In our particular area, this does not happen very often, but it might happen after a warm spell, where most of the snow melts. Protecting ...
Growing Peppers in Cold Climate
Growing peppers in a cold climate is in many ways similar to growing tomatoes, but still different. Tomatoes are more popular, more forgiving, and a bit easier to grow. Overall though if you are successful in growing tomatoes, peppers can be your next thing to conquer. We love to grow peppers. ...
Growing and Preserving Basil
Basil is a great culinary and medicinal herb. Fresh and preserved (dry, or frozen) basil is great to use. Not just the taste, but also the scent of basil is unique. Fresh basil adds a summer fragrance and taste to a dish or salad. Basil is also great for teas and oral health. The basil herb is ...
Growing Food – Cucumbers
Growing food is important to us, and we have covered many edible plants already. Today it's all about growing food - cucumbers. Growing cucumbers in the northern climate, using cucumbers in yummy recipes, and preserving them for winter. Now, I have to admit that I have not been able just yet to ...
What To Do if Plants Fail to Grow
If you have been gardening for a while, you know things do not always go well. Usually, we don't talk much about it, and that might give the impression that it does not happen to experienced gardeners. Well, it does, and here we share what to do if plants fail to grow. We have had a lot of practice ...
Planting a Fall Garden in a Northern Climate
Our growing season is short, just over 100 days. It seems that with most plants we have just one shot. However, to use succession planting for a fall garden has been a goal of ours for many years. We started experimenting with it pushing the boundaries for planting a second crop, aka a fall garden ...