Companion plants are plants that have benefits for each other. They are better together than alone. As a gardener, you might have heard about the so-called nitrogen "fixing" plants. Now, that might sound very theoretical and only something for permaculturists. Growing legumes as nitrogen-fixing ...
Permaculture
Varieties of Berries for Zone 3 Garden
Berries are the best fruit cold climate gardeners can grow, the category of produce where we can shine. Here we share the varieties of berries that we grow in our zone 3 garden and some care and propagation tips. Growing berries in a permaculture cold climate garden. Why grow berries Of all ...
Microclimates in a Northern Garden
If you garden in a cold climate, a microclimate can make all the difference between no frost or frost damage, and ripe or green tomatoes in your garden. A few degrees colder or warmer can have a huge impact on what we can grow and how well the garden is producing. So let's take a closer look into ...
DIY Contour Map
When designing a permaculture property, the topography of the land is one of the first things you want to know. Depending on where you live you might have great resources available to find that. However, if those resources are not available, a DIY contour map might be an option. Here we share our ...
Our New Land to Build a Permaculture Property
Have you been wondering why November started so mild in our part of the world and continued beautiful? We bought some land and needed to fence it in before the ground freezes. There you have the real reason ;). The fence went up on November 14th and the weather changed overnight. Okay, that at least ...
Permaculture Design Course
Big news here at NorthernHomestead, I'm (Anna) taking the Permaculture Design Course, Starting on November 18, 2021. The Permaculture Design Course is the international standard for permaculture certification. It is an online course, so I get to go to classes without leaving the comfort of my home. ...
Growing Fruit Trees in Cold Climate Part 1
We love fruit. Juicy, sweet, delicious fruit. Growing up in Central Asia, fruit was a big part of our diet. My (Anna) father moved our family to that area to grow fruit. With hot, dry summers, the fruit was our best crop. Growing fruit trees in a cold climate is a bit of a different story. We are ...
Permaculture Zones on 1/8 of an Acre
If you know just a little bit about permaculture, you have heard about permaculture zones. The zones help to design a property so it saves time and energy to care for the site and also makes it more efficient. Things that need the most care are closer to the house (zone 1), and things that you only ...
Garden Shade Survey
Did you know that in April the day length is the same as in September? That means if there is shade in April, there also will be just as much shade in September. There might be even more because trees are not having leaves in April, but they do in September. It is a good idea to do a shade survey in ...
