This morning, having taken a bit of walk around the garden, as much as the snow and ice allowed, I was delighted to find the beginnings of crocus, muscari and rhubarb. Why not celebrate what March has to offer? Especially now that it’s almost over.
This afternoon, after a lovely albeit breezy day, the snow graced us once again with huge, wet, heavy flakes. And then the sun broke through, the birds resumed singing, and we are reminded of why we choose to live here.
Let’s not fight our environment. Let’s make the most of it. Let’s grow food that will nourish us and that actually wants to grow here so we don’t have to do backflips to harvest a crop.
Yes, a little greenhouse will do wonders for your state of mind. There is nothing like growing your own tomatoes, basil, cucumbers and green beans. But keep it small, just how many of any of these plants do you need? And how much time do you want to spend in a greenhouse? Gardening under plastic is not my idea of gardening. Granted there are the above mentioned go to crops that need the extra protection, but keep your list to that.
There is so much that will grow out in the open, food that will accept the limitations of latitude 59 degrees north. Really, if you need an orchard of stone fruit, why do you live here? Put your energy into growing berries. Strawberries, raspberries, currants (black and red) thrive to the point needing to share the harvest. How excellent is that? The wild blueberries were magnificent on this side of the bay last summer, a rare occurrence but perhaps a recurring event considering climate change.
With global unrest we here in Alaska need to be concentrating on what grows with the least amount of interference from us. The list is long: all greens, all cole crops, tubers. Be thinking about what you and your family eat.
I’m just finishing the book ‘The Land of Little Rain’ by Mary Austin, first published in 1903. Give it a go and feel thankful for what we have.
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| Crocus braving March |
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