As much as I love living in Alaska, one of the things we have had to give up is good produce.  Beware; our grocery store produce is subject to change.  When you do buy, best to eat it within a week or it’ll be bad.  Up here we have green and then brown, not much in the middle.

Naturally, I want to have a garden.  There are lots of books and websites about gardening, even gardening in the various climates of the US, but there are very few about doing it in Alaska.  We have a cooler summer, with endless sunshine, and we have a shorter growing season.

 Alaskans are hardy, and so are our vegetables.  I had my first garden last summer, and my tomatoes didn’t flourish.   My chard did.   For me, I want to enjoy my garden as it grows, so I chose veggies that I can eat during the season.  Here are some tips…

Growing Vegetables in Alaska

Rainbow chard and green chard:  Use these for your lettuces.  I read they are the Alaskan lettuce.  They’re very resilient and grow easily.

Kale:  Again, this grows like mad and is resilient.   I’ve heard someone call this a toothbrush for your intestines.  It’s very healthy. I sauté some onions and chop some kale up, throw it in my cast iron pan with some spice.   Then you can go crazy with some other veggies, and you have yourself a delightful meal.

Brussels Sprouts:  These are not something you can eat throughout the summer.  I planted some last year and had to wait until the fall to eat them, but they were worth the wait.  The sprouts themselves were very small, but so tender.

Basil, chives, and parsley:  Any herb like this can be grown outside or in your kitchen.  Throw a couple of leaves on a salad or in a sauce and you have super flavor.

Carrots, zucchini, squash, cauliflower, and broccoli:  Go for it!  I haven’t mastered them in the pots, so I’m saving these for later.

Avoid tomatoes and peppers, these are hot climate and sensitive to weather changes, unless you have access to a greenhouse.

If you rent: do your garden in pots until you have your plot of land.

If you own: raised garden bed, a greenhouse, and can your heart out.

How does your garden grow?  Any vegetables I should try?

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