18: Dianne Hansen | Local Gardener and Young Living Essential Oils Member | Fortine, MT

Tell me about your first gardening experience?

Father did serious gardening, used manure.

What does organic gardening/earth friendly mean to you?

Using manure and weeds to amend the soil and lots of worms.

Who or what inspired you to start using organic techniques?

Dad and other elders

How did you learn how to garden organically?

Watching the old people and follow them do their gardening chores and let me try my own hand, jobs weeding from mom and dad, best part was just getting to join in with parents and the old people.

Tell us about something that grew well this year.

Moving basil and tomatoes into full sun, watering really well and had good soil.

Is there something you would do different next year or want to try/new that you’re excited about?

Want husband to stop replacing soil, and sifting it. Want to just add manure and leaves on top. Not use rototiller to kill worms. Add richness to soil.

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Tell me about something that didn’t work so well this season.

Sweet peas need to be in sun.

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Something that you find is easy to grow and is generally successful every-time.

Most impressive trick is a hoop that I can leave up year after year of pig wire and plant winter squash along edges which grows up and over and dangles down and makes a great playhouse for kids and is impressive to neighbors. Keeps winter squash in one spot so it doesn’t take up too much space and creates shade for other plants underneath.

Something you would steer new gardeners away from that you find is typically challenging to grow in your climate. 

Corn.

Which activity is your least favorite activity to do in the garden.

Do not like to set up hoses to water automatically.

What is your favorite activity to do in the garden.

Walk thru and talk out loud and enjoy a friendly and happy place to go.

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A favorite tool that you like to use? If you had to move and could only take one tool with you what would it be.

A shovel to dig deep or shallow, use for detail work or to move some earth.

Eating or harvesting vegetables or fruit on time? 

Don’t wait till produce is all ready. Eat bit by bit, start when too small put in salads.

Do you have any secrets for preserving food-making it last? 

Nutrition is null and void from canning, so dehydrate at a low temperature. Beets and greens.

Do you have any special techniques for cooking weird or unusual foods?

Lovage – use raw. Grows tall and tastes like celery which grows well in a cold climate. Just snip off leaves.

A favorite recipe you like to cook from the garden?

Fresh bits and pieces for salad. Winter squash for pumpkin.

A favorite internet resource?

Google search.

OffgridMontana.com has live webcams over by the Tobacco River and catches animals.

Rich and Karen Shevan.

If you have a business to you have any advice for our listeners about how to sell extra produce or get started in the industry?

Essential oils.

DianneHansen in Fortine MT on Facebook.

Youngliving.com member #605520.

Melissa is lemon balm. Straw Flowers – Helichrysum

Final question- if there was one change you would like to see to create a greener world what would it be? For example is there a charity or organization your passionate about or a project you would like to see put into action. What do you feel is the most crucial issue facing our planet in regards to the earth either in your local area or on a national or global scale?

Cultivating pollinators and speaking out against chemicals.

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Do u have an inspiration tip or quote to help motivate our listeners to reach into that dirt and start their own garden?

Closest to God in garden to give you peace of mind.

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Thanks for visiting Mike’s Green Garden. If you like what you heard on the Organic Gardener Podcast we’d love it if you’d give us a 5 star rating on iTunes so other gardeners can find us and listen to. Just click on the link here:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/organic-gardener-podcast/id962887645

If you have any comments, questions, guests you’d like to see, or topics you’d like us to cover please send us any feedback positive or negative. We’re here to serve our audience and we can only improve with your help!!! Thanks for visiting Mike’s Green Garden changing the world one garden at a time.

About the author, Jackie Marie

I'm an artist and educator. I live at the "Organic Oasis" with my husband Mike where we practice earth friendly techniques in our garden nestled in the mountains of Montana.

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