Kitchen Garden - Vegetables and fruits Even though vegetation season os so short, 90-100 days, almost ever lasting light during short summer months compensates for it. There are many vegetables which can be grown on a free land. Especially potatoes, which are very popular in northern Sweden (I do not grow them....). More sensitive vegetables like for instance tomatoes, need to be grown in a green house. Many of vegetables can be grown in April at home or green house and when risk for cold nights is over, they can be planted on a free land, like: pumpkin and squash. Peas can be also grown, but they are very sensitive for cold soil and seeds can easily rotten. List of vegetables which can be grown in the northern Sweden would be long, if you are interested, this wonderful book can help: Handbok för Köksträdgården - Lena Israelsson. Wahlström and Widstrand 2000. ISBN: 91-46-17539-3.

This sphagetti pumpkin planted directly on a compost gave more than 20 pumpkins duing whole summer! I have planted out seeds in the middle/late April. Had them on the balcony during days (temperature around 4C) and at 23 C during nights. Thanks to this treatment seedlings became more hardy. When planting out on a free land, they have been covered by a plastic cup for first few weeks. When risk of night frosts was over, small pumpkin plants started to counquer all the space around...

Paths in my kitchen garden are lined with bark. Nemesia sp. is planted on the sides and it makes a very colorful effect. I also use Calednula sp. and Nepeta nepeta as a border plant. Generally I mix flowers and vegetables together for more variation in color and shape as well as pest protection (carrot and marigolds - Tagietes). My interest to grow eatable plants is quite recent. I am especially fond of doing summer sandwiches from all possible etable flowers and leafs I can find in my garden. Picture on them will come summer 2003!

There is NO summer without strawberries. In the north they will be ready in JULY! In some extraordinary cases, when the spring comes ealier, strwaberries might come already in the end on June. Like in the summer 2002. Plants are very hardy, and many interesting varieties can be grown in the nordic garden. Their colorful autumn leafs can be sued in flower arrangements!

Photos & text by Joanna