Love Cloves? Read Growing Great Garlic

MarahG

“It  is not a ‘garlic gospel,’ nor it is another garlic cookbook. It does answer most of the questions that no one could answer for me fifteen years ago when I began to grow garlic.’ -Ron L Engeland, Growing Great Garlic (p. xi) Engeland is a content expert as a “founding farmer” at Filaree Garlic Farm in North-Central Washington State. This book, published in 1991, seeks to educate organic gardeners and small famers about best practices in garlic production. Although this is a broad goal and the content often leans Read More …

The Art of Discovering Plants

mamillay

The good, the bad, and the weedy How can I fertilize my soil naturally without using animal waste? What native plants will grow together and compliment each other? How can I attract bees?  That looks like a weed – can I eat it? In Discovering Wild Plants by Janice Schofield, I found not only the answers to these questions, but so much more. Open the book’s pages (there are no online resources associated with this book) and find  instructions on how to make herbal remedies and recipes that make your Read More …

More Rain than Shine: Book Review of, “How To Grow Vegetables in Sitka, Alaska” by Lori Adams

jdhandy

My Plan to Grow When I became Assistant Groundskeeper at the Sitka Pioneers’ Home in almost five years ago I was really impressed with the amount of flowers that were now in my care. But it didn’t take me long to realize there was something lacking on the Pioneers’ Home grounds. I knew that a small vegetable garden would be a nice, attractive, and useful addition for the home. Fortunately I was not alone in this thinking as a former employee of the home had received permission to do just Read More …

Fall-the Most Nostalgic Time of Year

ggphillips

Fall has always been a nostalgic time of year for me, and, of course, a busy time, too. Fall evokes memories of the beautiful times past and of great growing seasons, great harvests and great farming people. The chill comes back into the air, the sun overhead starts to feel warm and friendly instead of uncomfortably hot and bothersome, the wind tickles the trees and causes their golden colored leaves to undulate, the biting insects begin to go away, a light dusting of new snow gently falls up on the Read More …

A Plant IS What It Eats

Barb

I like to read fiction. It was amazing to me that a book on plant nutrition was a ‘page turner’ for me. True, there were many very scientific terms used, but Jeff Lowenfels, in his book, Teaming with Nutrients, gives a layman’s rendition of these terms, making them understandable. There are also processes that I needed to go back to read over again in order to understand, but I did so eagerly. The unfolding explanations and the subsequent wonder of what actually is happening in the plant structure and around Read More …

Fuchsias, Good for More than One Season in Fairbanks?

ejaeger1

Fuchsias are a summer garden favorite for so many of us Fairbanks folks. Yet, we enjoy them during our summer months and wait until the next season to begin them again. On a quest to extend their lifespan, I’m trying to overwinter them. One resource I’m using is a Creative step-by-step guide to Growing Fuchsias, by Carol Gubler, Jane Newdick, and Neil Sutherland (Whitecap Books, 1994). A bit dated, but still a great resource for fuchsia lovers. This book has great advice and illustrations on choosing a good plant, as Read More …

Rhodiola Rosea: Medicinal Plant for Alaska

Cody Beus

Photograph Courtesy of Brian Pettinger Rhodiola Rosea in Alaska Rhodiola rosea L.is currently being explored as a commercial crop in Alaska. Several news agencies have given exposure to this emerging crop in Alaska. Some research suggests that our climate, like its native Siberia, produces more potent compounds to be used as a supplement. This plant should also be of interest to the home gardener as a landscaping plant, or part of a medicinal herb garden. R. rosea L. has constituents that have been reported as adaptogens, meaning they help manage Read More …

Last Child in the Woods to First Child in the Garden

cduncan11

Sometime ago, I read the book Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder, by Richard Louv. I was concerned children were growing up indoors, eyes focused on a screen, and not engaging in activities that would inspire an interest and curiosity in the outdoor world. This book was a great resource regarding the importance of outdoor time on children. What I did not know until recently is that the website for this book also has a resource guide supplement that includes activities, books and helpful Read More …

Growing an Indoor Edible Garden

Sarah Richards

When we moved into our house in October, I started itching to grow something. This is the first time I’ve owned my own little part of the earth, and that is about as tangible as life gets for a gardener. The weather was turning colder, and everyone around us was settling in for winter. Cutting wood is a more appropriate fall time activity in Alaska, or so my husband tells me, but I decided I was going to grow food in our tiny cabin. So, I did what I do Read More …