Hull House Museum Farm

Nov 9

Heirloom Tomatoes

Photo: Gail Tang www.flickr.com/gailtang

Beets, Turnips, Peas, and Carrots are planted as cool-weather Fall crops

Oct 24

MEDICINAL PLANT OF THE MONTH: ELECAMPANE

This plant is especially good for clearing mucous from the lungs. Some herbalists believe it may serve as a holistic assistant to seasonal flu, including H1N1 swine flu virus.

For more info: http://www.healthy.net/scr/article.asp?ID=1889

6 types of Heirloom potatoes were grown

Purple Dragon Carrots

Potatoes and carrots are the chthonic gems of any garden

Oct 8

After they were harvested, the German Stiffneck garlic was cured for a month and the papery outer layers of skin were carefully peeled back to reveal the beautiful inner colors.

Mushrooms just need a little water (and a few hours) for inspiration.

Spring. by Rogan Birnie

Berkeley's Tie Dye Tomato

Dwarf Blue Kale

The German Stiffneck was the first crop planted on the farm in November 2008. The little garlic bulbs grow baby roots before the freeze of winter so that when spring comes they already have a head start. One of the longest crops to mature, it is also the most rewarding. Here we are in July reaping the rewards.

Shallots and garlic were planted together and were harvested at the same time. They are closely related; both are of the genus allium.

This trellis uses the Siberian Elm cut down at the Honey Coop and was built to support the baby Asian Long Beans pictured here.

Jun 23

Tomato stakes? Continuing in the vein of whole tree construction and permaculture, Hull House Farm volunteers harvested trees at the Chicago Honey Co-op, the branches were cut down to serve as tomato stakes and cucumber trellices. Though seemingly unwarranted, the trees cut were Siberian Elm, a prolific invasive species in the Mid-west. The hope was to help re-establish the native ecology at the Co-op, while using the attractive wood in a meaningful way.

Check out the Coop

Rabbit Fence. Urban rabbits, though adorable, do love to eat the freshest, greenest buds in the garden. The fence used at the Hull House Museum was designed with the concept of whole-tree construction, a rediscovered method of building and architecture.

For more on whole-trees