Gardening near Polar Circle!

Who is a Gardener? Joanna, a biologist (plant physiologist). My gardening passion has grown over the years of gardening in Poland, my homeland. Few years ago I have moved to northern Sweden. One of the crucial questions was: is it possible to garden HERE?? In this harsh climate???

Garden Location: Earth Europe Scandinavia Umea (650 km north of Stockholm) 20 km from Botnia Bay (Baltic Sea)

Temperatures/light Minimum at winter: -35°C Average in the summer (day): 15°C Minimum in the summer (night): 1-2°C Never ending days in the summer (20 hours)

Snow Comes in October/November Cover: at least 60 cm Time: lasting for around 5-6 months in a year.... Ligth: ever lasting nights in the winter...

This place is absolutely fantastic and like no one else I have experienced during most of my life in Poland. It makes you not to take anything for granted, enjoy each and single day without the snow. Experience incredible power of the nature. From frost and ice to overheliming greeness during few months in the a year. Miracle of life. Welcome to my garden! Joanna Note from my garden diary at 2003-05-20 Here I am standing - over 1000 m2 of a grass lawn...can start everything from nothing. In a week with a help of a great neighbour this grass field is going to be plown. Soil: clay. What means few trucks of sand and black soil to be distributed over the surface. Afterwards few pickups of plants from my old garden will come into this new place. What a work! But creations require effort and the energy which is used up to create this garden will be given back by nature later on during the summer and coming years. It will take years to grow up trees and bushes in the climate of northern Sweden, but this is not an obstacle for me. It requires more careful consideration while planning.

Photos & text by Joanna