Helen and Scott Nearing on Living the Good Life (a tale of homesteading)

[baymule]

My garden is the perfect site: sandy loam, slight S slope. I've been gardening here for more than 10 years, and the soil now has a lot of black humus. Nearings brought the importance/benefit of microclimate to the light of day. So many good concepts to be gleaned from so many authors. I've long thought that a low cinder block wall, or other type of stone wall along N border of the garden would gain me an extra gardening zone!

A cinder block wall definitely would make you a micro climate. At our old house, my garden was beds between the driveway and sidewalk, with brick walkways 3’ wide. LOTS of heat collection that radiated back out to the soil. I also commandeered the flower beds against the brick house. I gardened all year long, even through snow events. I have pictures of cabbage, lettuce and broccoli covered in snow, but they survived.

Here, only 160 miles north, my garden is wide open to the elements. I can’t overwinter anything, it freezes and turns to mush. The temperatures are maybe a degree to 3 degrees colder, often the same, boy no heat sink in the form of bricks and concrete.

 

[Britesea]

In Europe, many manors had walled gardens- heat sinks all the way around. They would espalier the fruit trees along the walls and grow herbs and kitchen produce in the middle.

I am in the process of building a row of bins all along the north side of my garden, using concrete blocks. The bins hold compost, and other items I want to use in the garden (one is full of broken down cardboard boxes, another has wood chips, etc). The backs of the bins face the garden so they act as a heat sink. I'm already seeing a difference on the part I've finished. Right now, they are about 3 1/2 feet tall, but I want to eventually make them 5 feet tall as that will give protection for almost 30 feet into the garden from the cold and wind. I'm also thinking about painting that side black to help even more.

 

[Britesea]

It faces south, so I think I'll stay with black for warmth, unless I leave it plain.

 

[baymule]

I like this post. I bet this book has inspired lots of people.

 

[Mini Horses]

This book and couple were featured in Mother Earth News, many years ago. While this is a viable method, it does NOT happen at once. Your original soil, site and area are factors. Then the mulches and composting time play into it. It's a good gardening method after it gets started. Yes, planning which plants work best within the growing season is sure best. In my area, most years, some things will actually grow outside way into winter. Maybe extra mulch but, still "store" out there and be harvested.

 

[baymule]

My garden at our old house had beautiful soil--after years of Composting with chicken and horse manure, leaves, grass clippings and everything I could get my hands on. I could take a garden fork and push it down with one hand.

Then we moved here on sugar sand like a beach with no ocean. We have thrown everything but the kitchen sink at it and if it would help, I'd throw the sink at it. Finally, after 6 years, I have pretty decent soil in the garden.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Depending on E/W orientation, I think I'd be painting the garden facing side of the wall white, so it will reflect more light back onto the plants.