Questions & Answers

I have been receiving very interesting questions, some of which I would like to answer on this page. Please keep on asking!

Which season do you prefer?
Spring, when the first plants are sprouting out of the dry ground, when the sun is warm but the mosquitoes are not active yet.

And what season is challenging you most?
Winter, now, as we are confronted with little daylight, are bound to stay here, because there is too much snow to walk off the trails, and it is too cold to take the snowmobile (especially with a little child). We are also running short on fresh vegetables, and have started to ration the few remaining apples. Until early March, is too risky (temperature-wise) to transport fresh produce on the snowmobile to Poppy Creek.

How long is the growing season and what kind of veggies can you grow?
We usually have night frost until the end of May, and then again in late August. I grow vegis that mature fast and are not affected by the long daylight (spinach and radishes for exampled don't do well, as they seem to need the darkness. As it is here with 24 hours daylight in June and July, they go to seed before they develop leaves or radishes). What does work are salads, cucumbers, squashes, and herbs like basil, savory, dill, cilantro.

I am writing more about gardening in my books "Wilderness Life in Canada's Yukon Territory" and its sequel (soon to be available) "Raising a Child in the Wild".