How to Create a Thriving Garden for the Modern Pickler

Even with my best efforts, I have often found myself struggling to keep a garden thriving through the seasons. But I have to say, this summer has been a revelation. I have been trying a range of techniques to see the results for myself. The results have been fascinating, but one method has shown me remarkable results.

After spending countless hours researching and sifting through websites on internet forums, I finally stumbled across the key. I started applying a few new methods that transformed my garden into a haven for pickling delight. I completely agree with gardening enthusiast extraordinaire when they say: ‘gardening is not rocket science, it is just like combining elements in order to make magic happen’. This indeed held true for me, as with tiny tweaks, the garden started yielding a bounty of tasty vegetables.

One must indeed observe the fruits of their labor before reaping the rewards. What drew me in initially to these techniques are that they focus on low-maintenance yet high output. Today I will outline these methods that helped me grow veggies and live that pickle-filled life many dream about, but cannot articulate due to lack of resources. Ultimately, it comes down to simply appreciating the garden you have.

I’m sure many can identify, because as gardeners, we’re our own worst critics. There’s that famous example of Mark Twain writing critically about someone in his time that seemed to have a ‘poetic imagination’ which may be ‘prone to the illusion of gaining an experience otherwise difficult’. As someone that sees my garden through the lens of preserving food through pickling, much like Mark Twain in that particular anecdote, we must not let that self-talk dominate or we risk creating for ourselves an idea of a garden that makes us feel anxious, yet if tackled with care can prove extremely rewarding.

I found that investing in a greenhouse allowed me to increase the availability of these precious resources, using it to cultivate seedlings in early spring. As someone who’s keenly interested in experimenting with different styles of pickling my vegetables, this was particularly critical for ensuring consistency and experimentation within my ever-growing collection of various ingredients, as I also create my own personal homemade recipes for pickling solutions. Ultimately gardeners choose greenhouses that best fit their specific needs. From then on it was just trial and error.

The benefits I found in using a greenhouse weren’t necessarily what one would initially assume upon beginning to implement greenhouses within their garden and especially while making room in resources, as prior I found setting one up an additional hassle due to lack of space. Initially, and prior to picking up this book I figured what I’ve seen or been taught I assumed would ultimately apply universally with gardening needs for my garden growing pickling needs because all of the books or sources seemed to claim or even stress, that within growing and utilizing what has become one’s own harvest you simply used one generic gardening technique that would work on all plants to be growing in that garden and more importantly pickled as per instructions.

Let’s try something together. We have tried so many projects on this lovely website, such as canning and even baking breads. I love that feeling that leads to eventually transforming simple ingredients into something entirely novel - and life-changing. Applying compost was another step that made a remarkable change, significantly lifting the overall pickling game within our modern gardening day-to-day.

My very first self-made greenhouse! It did not cost a ton.

With this latest recipe I tweaked, added compost, planted more purposeful seed starters, and cultivated so that I could combine it all into one for the amazing end results we’ve been getting, especially being only half done on simply perfecting them!

Lastly, as mentioned earlier the seeds need proper care before and while planting into ground. It is recommended the seeds can also sometimes to retain optimal heat. However remember this can indeed retain so much, moisture that does so happen, but should turn to have perfect seeds sprouting into veggies.

As they say with even great recipes - whether or else they can be from whatever culinary style of cooking you will indeed experience, one thing would matter: practice indeed matters so the mastery there is.

Also - go on and get those seeds wet! Lastly, I may see you in the greenhouse, or your kitchen perhaps.

I am just getting more informed, so please please let’s make the recipe even better! I also made this deliciously homemade jam and also grew the veggies you will be seeing here in here in it’s gorgeous shape below used completely fresh as pictured below - I very humbly hope you will give it a try…

*Here you can see what I grew! Although some elements are less than optimal I worked my best to get it pictured how I did my garden most successfully! )

This is what you’ll see inside this old broken greenhouse which my grandma had, and she gave it away for me and it hasn’t been fixed since!

I will keep growing and perfecting our wonderful garden delights. I will include more gardening tips in the future. My next experiment is cultivating within the use of an Aerogarden, and we also go on from there.

Go grow some pickling delights!

A season’s offering.