Bergfrid, aka the head gardener, launched The Slope Gardener in March 2020 to promote a sustainable, home-grown pantry, to encourage creating your own sanctuary. and to battle cabin fever during the pandemic.
Location of the slope gardens
My gardens are located in Lillestrøm municipality, east of the Norwegian capital Oslo. We are situated at about 280 meters above sea-level in a fairly new settlement on a south-east facing hill.
The layout of the slope gardens
The house sits on a small rise surrounded on 3 sides by a u-shaped short but steep slope. When we moved here in 2011, the entire slope was covered in several truck-loads of river-bed stones. The only green was an odd-shaped triangular lawn and a narrow grassy walkway.
Establishing the slope gardens has been hard labor. We tackle one section at a time and turn the heavy clay to fertile soil.
The climate of the slope gardens
We’re in zone H4 according to the Norwegian gardening society, but since it can get quite windy here, I often plan according to zone H5. The last frost date is early May; the first frost date is late September.
Fortunately for the perennials, we usually have a good snow-cover, since it can get down to -20C. Summer temperatures are commonly somewhere in the 10-25C range.
About bergfrid
Bergfrid is a technical writer with a background in computer science, psychology, and didactics. She lives together with her husband, 3 kids, and a puppy named Bilbo.
