Krista's Farms Market Garden Secret

Krista is another awesome gardener in our area. We visited her Davenport Farms Market Garden at the beginning of this week. It sure looks good, despite all the rain we've had here.

One of the special features in her garden is the mulching. Krista mulches with grass clippings. She grows delicious produce this way. Her spinach looked and tasted out of this world. Those leaves are almost as big as my hand, yummy! Read more and learn about mulches with grass clippings!

• Source: northernhomestead.com/kristas-farms-market-garden-secret

More about mulching: Gardening Without Work: For the Aging, the Busy & the Indolent

Dave, an enthusiastic northern fruits and berry grower

Dave is a fellow gardening enthusiast from central Alberta who writes an interesting AlbertaHomeGardening blog. Would you believe that plums, grapes, and kiwis grow just outside of Red Deer, Alberta? They do, Dave has proven it. There is a whole world of hardy fruit plants that can survive and even thrive on the northern prairies. Read more and learn about growing fruits and berries in a short growing season area.

• Source: northernhomestead.com/dave-an-enthusiastic-northern-fruits-and-berry-grower

More on hardy Trees and Shrubs: Hardy Trees and Shrubs: A Guide to Disease-Resistant Varieties for the North

Tilly's 'Back to Eden' garden experience

Back to Eden is a documentary movie about a gardener named Paul Gautschi. In the film he explains his mulching method. My friend Tilly, a christian mother of 8, an amazing homemaker and gardener, tried out this gardening method in her northern garden and was willing to share her experience with us. Read more and learn about wood chips mulching the 'Back to Eden' way.

• Source: northernhomestead.com/tillys-back-to-eden-garden-experience

More on Back to Eden: Back to Eden the Film

Seedbank of open pollinated, non-GMO seeds

This is an ongoing project on building an own bank of open pollinated, non-GMO seeds. The aim is to find seeds that are suited for our very short growing season. Some of these seeds we will grow for the first time, others have been already tested and been approved. Non-GMO, open pollinated seeds for a cold weather, short season, most also suited for the winter garden.

• Source: northernhomestead.com/seedbank-of-open-pollinated-non-gmo-seeds

How different plants react to frost

Freezing weather conditions kill vegetables in the garden, right? Well, it depends. Plants react very differently to frost. Here a post with before and after pictures how plants react to frost. Frost hardy plants and summer crops react different, see how.

• Source: northernhomestead.com/how-different-plants-react-to-frost

More on winter gardening: The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener: How to Grow Your Own Food 365 Days a Year, No Matter Where You Live

Our Home Garden as featured on GNOWFGLINS

En inspiration story of a family who is growing food without owning a speck of land. Cold clipate, short growing season growing.

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Determinate and Indeterminate tomato plants (to prune or not to prune)

There are two main varieties of tomato plants: Determinate and Indeterminate. A seed package will tell you what you got. I don't know of a way to tell if a plant is determinate or indeterminate by just looking at a young plant, but later in the season you can see if it is a bush or a huge still growing plant.You will also learn if it is better to prune or not to prune tomato plants.

• Source: northernhomestead.com/determinate-and-indeterminate-tomato-plants-to-prune-or-not-to-prune

More on growing tomatoes: Instructions for Growing Tomatoes: in the garden and greenhouse

Heirloom tomato varieties we grow in a northern garden

This is our fifth year of growing tomatoes in Alberta, a challenging and fun thing to do. This year we grew mainly heirloom tomatoes again.

I started all of the seedlings in just a little soil and replanted them as soon as they grew, always burying the stem. Mid-May I transplanted them into the green house. This are heirloom tomato varieties that grow in a northern, short growing season garden and greenhouse.

• Source: northernhomestead.com/heirloom-tomato-varieties-we-grow-in-a-northern-garden

More on growing tomatoes: Instructions for Growing Tomatoes: in the garden and greenhouse

What greenhouse to choose?

When it comes to gardening in colder climates, a greenhouse is almost a must have. It extends the growing season and gives the plants a lot more heat. With a greenhouse we can actually pick ripe tomatoes here and grow some plants that we would not be able to with out one. It can also be a great hang out place on those cool spring days and summer nights. There are several greenhouses to choose from ...

• Source: northernhomestead.com - What greenhouse to choose

How-to grow and use Ground Cherries

Ground Cherries, also known as cape gooseberries, are little orange fruit inside an attractive paper wrapper. Fruits fall from the plants when ripe, that’s why they are called Ground Cherries.

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Grow your own Ground Cherries: Organic Aunt Molly's Ground Cherry - 50 Seeds

Fresh and dry basil in the winter

Basil is a great culinary herb for pasta, salads, and more. Not just the taste, but also the smell is unique. It is also a great looking plant. Basil is a warm weather herb. It does not like the cold. It hardly grows in our area even in the summer, but it does grow in a greenhouse and in a kitchen window. Since Basil changes its taste when it is dried, it is worth it to grow fresh. Plus it adds a little summer to your winter.

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