On November 27, I dug two rows of sweet and crunchy carrots out of my garden. I’m not sure what was colder - my fingers in stiff gardening gloves or the carrots! It was -4°C after all.

The idea to leave carrots in the ground into winter came from Denise and Fred Radford. This lovely couple has a front yard and backyard vegetable and flower garden in the Belgravia neighbourhood and we had the fortune of visiting them as part of the Edible Garden Tour in August.

Denise explained to our wide-eyed group that she found a way to keep rows of carrots in her raised beds until late November. She makes a nice, thick duvet for her veggies by covering them with large bags of dried leaves and piling snow on top. When she needs more carrots, she lifts some of the bags, digs up a row, and then replaces the protective covering. Parsnips are even hardier and the Radfords have left them over Christmas.

I was keen to try this method, although I thought it was a rather risky! However, out of necessity, I decided to experiment. We had a warm fall and in October, my basement “cold” storage remained above 10°C; the fridge was full of other vegetables, and I ran out of time to find other solutions before going overseas for a trip. On October 13, I covered 3 short rows of Nantes and Chantenay carrots with 2 overlapping layers of leaves in large garbage bags. Two weeks later, we had almost a foot of snow, and that was great for extra insulation.

The minimum temperatures in November were fluctuating, but it was definitely below zero Celsius. Below is a graph showing minimum temperatures in November.

When I was digging, the soil near the edge of the raised bed was frozen and not easy to pry up. Toward the middle of the bed, the soil was fairly soft and moist. The carrots came out in clumps that seemed frozen, but after some time in the house, they were beautiful, fresh and sweet. Only one or two rotted after a few days. They were likely growing near edge of the bed where they had less protection.

Around December 10, the average minimum temperature was -16°C. I called the Radfords and they still had some carrots and parsnips in the ground – they were waiting for warmer weather to dig some up and see how they were doing. Maybe I’ll leave some carrots in the ground even longer next year…

Jane inspired me with her blog update to take a photo of my own bed we sheet mulched in October 2010.

I like how well the zucchini, cucumbers, and onions are growing. I also started some flowers from seed to attract pollinators, including pot marigold, salvia, fewerfew (supposed to be good for headaches), dill, cilantro, runner beans and buckwheat. The two honeyberry / haskap bushes are also doing well, though I'm keeping my eye on possible mildew with all that rain again this year.

Some Swiss Chard ended up in the bed by accident. Compared to the other chard in the raised bed just half a metre away, this plant is noticeably bigger. I tested it with the Brix meter, and the sugar levels are higher. This could be because of more favorable nutrients, and also because of the consistent moisture in the sheet mulch. In the fall, I plan on layering garden waste, compost and leaves to top up the organic matter. So far, this bed has been surpassed my expectations!

The stately burdock is an amazing plant with a bad reputation. Through my involvement with Evergreen and the Molson Canadian Red Leaf Project*, I had my own encounter with burdock on June 24 in the Mill Creek Ravine. While energetic folks of all walks of life were pulling thistles, I decided to tackle a patch of burdock with a shovel that Diana Barager with the Edmonton Naturalization Group (ENG) had brought for the task.

Burdock is a biennial with a very long taproot. In the first year, it produces a rosette of leaves, but does not flower. In the second year, it grows much taller and produces a strong stalk with flowers that turn into very prickly heads or burrs. These seed heads catch on clothes and get caught in the fur of pets, helping to disperse the plant to new locations. This can be rather annoying and even painful, as the hooks are very sharp.

Burdock has spread widely in the river valley, in back alleys and yards in Edmonton. It is a very successful plant but also considered a noxious weed. Homeowners are required to prevent the spread of it by cutting it before it goes to seed or by removing it.

Burdock is not all bad; the roots and young shoots are edible and the plant has been used for medicinal purposes. Samuel Thayer describes how to identify, harvest and use burdock in his book called “The Forager’s Harvest”.

Burdock is also considered to be a “dynamic nutrient accumulator”, a plant that draws specific nutrients from deep in the soil and concentrates them in the leaves. When the leaves are chopped and left on the soil to decompose or added to the compost, the nutrients become available to other plants. Burdock is said to accumulate manganese (Mn), a micronutrient that plants need for healthy growth. Personally, I would not cultivate this plant, but when required to deal with it, I would certainly use the leaves in moderation and dispose of any stalks with flowers or seeds.  

While digging up the patch of burdock in the Mill Creek Ravine, I decided to try and rescue some of the roots and take them home for cooking. The challenge with burdock is that the roots are usually in hard clay, requiring a very strong spade and a fair amount of muscle power. I managed to pull up some of the roots, but most broke off and the best part was left in the hard soil. Still, I had a few roots that I boiled, then added to a stir-fry with other vegetables. In my opinion, burdock has a nice flavor. If you need to dig this potential monster out of your yard, why not use some roots or peel young shoots in early summer for an unusual addition to the menu!

*Evergreen and Molson partnered up for 100 stewardship events across the country, for the Molson Canadian Red Leaf Project, http://on.fb.me/mcRedLeaf. Community members in major cities have been invited to volunteer their time planting trees, pulling invasive plants or cleaning up garbage. In return, they get a ticket to a concert in their region. In Edmonton, 6 such events have already taken place this summer.

This spring one of our apple trees finally gave up its ghost. It was a wonderful tree that gave me lots of apples for dried apple rings, sauce and pies. Unfortunately, it suffered for the last few years. The previous owners did not give much thought about its mature size and exposure to harsh winds when they planted it. I built a raised bed over part of the root system because my yard is small and the prime vegetable garden location also had trees, so I took the risk. All of these factors likely contributed to the apple tree’s early demise.

I felt bad about cutting the dead tree down. Amanda from Sprout Farms mentioned mentioned her idea about using it as a birdbath or feeder. So that’s what I did. I trimmed back the dead branches, looking at it from all sides and considering a location for a saucer that would make a good birdbath. After trimming just enough to support the saucer, I inserted an old stick to hold up the saucer, then I secured it with some wire. I also drilled holes into it for pollinators.

Voilà! My dead tree has a new purpose and in permaculture terms, I’m stacking functions.
The tree now serves the following purposes:

·      It’s a trellis for clematis or other vining plants.
·      It holds up a saucer for a birdbath or bird feeder.
·      It’s a support for the hummingbird feeder.
·      It is potentially a home for pollinators.
·      Birds use it as a perch.

Have I missed any other functions or ideas? I’d love to hear from you!