Learning to Love Chickweed

Like many Alaskans I have spent countless summers struggling with chickweed in my garden and lawn. I painstakingly remove plant after plant until I am feeling smug about myself. Then I see “just one more plant” and I delve back in again. It’s almost to the point of needing a support group. This year I decided to try a little reverse psychology on myself and research my nemesis — know thy enemy so to speak — just to see if we could all get along. Common Chickweed ‘s Latin name Read More …

Planning is the first step to gardening success

Planning a garden is the first step to gardening success. Like many things in life, I learned this the hard way. The first time I had my own space in Alaska for a garden, I just tilled up some ground, threw in some seeds and hoped for the best. Some things worked great and others failed miserably. Many people I talked to have discovered same way I did that gardening techniques used and varieties grown in the lower 48 states don’t necessarily work in Alaska. Also, our state is so Read More …

Getting KREATIVE with KALE

This year my garden is exploding with kale! We have so much of it that you would have to eat salad every day of the week for the rest of the year just to use it up (or so it seems). For this blog post, I will be focusing on kale, its benefits, and what you can do to change up the way you eat kale. Kale is a phenomenal plant. It thrives in Alaska’s chillier climate and can be planted early in the season when the ground is still Read More …