Timo Garden is an organic garden in middle Sweden not far from Stockholm. It is situated in an area considered to be zone 2 or 3 with pockets of zone 1 micro climate. We have a very heavy clay soil lightened up with the use of large amounts of compost and mulch.

We grow all the typical swedish vegetables, some american and some japanese vegetables, as well as fruit, nuts and berries. A large part of the garden is occupied by permaculture experimentation where we grow green manure, bushes and trees as wind breaks and shade, etc, and flowers and plants as ornamentals and to attract the birds and the bees and the butterflies.

We save a lot of our produce for the winter but are not self sufficient. We also process much of the harvest in the form of pickles, sauerkraut and preserves. We have studied oriental food processing and regularly make koji and miso too.

Being this far north we have a rather short growing season and start most of our vegetable plants indoors for outdoor planting in the end of may. The growing season lasts until about the end of August when the first frosts can come, but often they come later. September is when most of the harvesting is done, although some kales and onions, etc can survive the cold until around new year. This gives us a long winter season which is dedicated to soil building, landscaping, garden art, study and rest.

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Joel and I at the Fyristorg Farmers Market in Uppsala on 1 december 2012 selling pumpkins, miso, sauerkraut and pickles.

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Timo Garden as seen from outer space.