Organic Gardening in
northern Sweden
Complete basic course spanning the entire season of 2025, from March to September. Live workshops and group meetings, seedpackets, Zoom-classes and two studyvisits; one to your mentors garden and one to a local farm and producer of greens in Boden.
Join our english speaking community and take a step towards a more sustainable way of life and learn effective ways to produce non-toxic vegetables and berries adapted to a cold climate under the midnight sun, while providing a healthy soil and a garden full of biodiversity. During the course, you will have access to language support for all Swedish terms related to gardening and also guidance in the Swedish gardening market to navigate independently in the future in order to achieve good results, thanks to the fact that your mentor also teaches Swedish for immigrants!
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Meet your mentor
My name is Jenny Malmqvist
And I will be your gardening mentor throughout the entire course. Glad you're here!
I'm a licensed highschool teacher in the swedish language currently based in Sävast just outside Boden, Norrbotten. For the last 11 years I've been teaching adults in swedish and social studies. I'm also a passionate advocate for biodiversity and sustainable gardening. Nowadays I'm also a garden entrepreneur focused on developing green enviroments and cultivation in our cold climate. Within my company I design gardens, write books, give lectures, and conduct courses.
My first book about gardening in cold climates was published in 2024. Here you can see it.
Through my work I hope to raise awareness about the importance of biodiversity and our relationship with the environment, advocating for practices that protect our planet for future generations.
I am also, perhaps primarily, a parent to two children and that is why gardening with children is especially close to my heart.
My journey as a gardener started 2012 and has allowed me to explore the profound connection between humans and nature, emphasizing the importance of our role in preserving the environment. I believe that biodiversity is essential for a healthy ecosystem and that every individual can contribute to this vital cause. Through my work, I strive to inspire others to appreciate the intricate relationships within nature and understand how our choices impact the world around us.
Sustainable and pesticide-free gardening is at the heart of my practice. I focus on methods that not only nurture the plants but also promote a thriving habitat for local wildlife. I am dedicated to teaching others how to cultivate gardens that support biodiversity, offering practical tips on growing food without harmful chemicals. In this course, I share all my experience from gardening in northern Sweden, including my many mistakes, frustrated attempts and successesful methods, to help you increase your chances of succeeding with your own gardening.
Our garden is viewable all year on my social media (the texts there are currently in Swedish)
Course content and dates
Here you can see the complete course schedule with dates, times, and content of the lectures. Would you like to sign up? Send me an email at growbyjenny@outlook.com and tell me a little about yourself.
During the course you will gain access to all presentations from the lectures, as well as several printable lists and PDF files to save for the future.
This course has a very limited number of spots, so don't hesitate if you want to secure yours,
Course plan 2025
Sunday 2 March 2025
13.00 - 17.00
Boden Business Park, Sävast
Boden
Welcome! Presentations and introduction
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Perspectives on why we should cultivate and garden
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What is a seed?
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Everything about preparations and individual prerequisite
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How do you sow a seed? We’ll sow together!
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The jungle of soil in bags, materials, and tools
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Plastic-free and recycled equipment
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Grow-lights
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Fungus gnats and how to avoid them
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Dwarf-tomatoes and good reasons to grow them
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Local stores for purchasing and the Swedish words for everything essential
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PDF: List of easy vegetables to start with for cultivation in cold climate
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Opening of a private group on Facebook for contact between meetings?
Sunday 23 March 2025
19.00 - 21.00 (ZOOM)
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Re-potting young plants
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Vegetables to sow in late March
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Nutrients and liquid fertilizers for young plants
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The function of legumes
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Herbs for biodiversity
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PDF: A gardens annual cycle and our part in it
Sunday 13 April 2025
19.00 - 21.00 (ZOOM)
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Preparing plants for outdoor life
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Vegetables to sow in April
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Grow potatoes
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Perennial edible plants
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Favorite berries in our garden
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Pests and diseases
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PDF: Companion planting of vegetables + Perennial edible plants in the north
Sunday 4 May 2025
19.00 - 21.00 (ZOOM)
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Vegetables to sow outside in May
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The secrets to carrots and root vegetables
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Start moving the toughest plants outside in May
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How to prepare new growing areas
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Now-dig gardening and it's advantages
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The world of healthy, living soil and microlife
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Bokashi
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Fertilize the soil organically before planting
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Mulching
Sunday 1 June 2025
19.00 - 21.00 IRL Meeting
Sävast, Boden
We meet again, this time under the midnight sun in your mentors garden in Sävast, Boden. Perhaps we light a fire in the pergola?
Swedish fika!
Briefing about our progress and status for our cultivated plants. You can walk around the garden and see everything that grows and thrives. Plenty of time to conversations with other participants in a cozy and relaxing enviroment.
Plant-swap within the group?
Sunday 24 August 2025
Site Visit, Vittjärv, Boden
Study visit IRL to a local agriculture just outside Boden - Vittjärvsgårdens Odling (farm).
Gwen is a local producer of organic vegetables with extensive experience in growing in cold climates. Here, we will have a guided tour among the crops and the opportunity to ask questions and get inspired by a real proffessional!
Sunday 7 Sept 2025
19.00 - 21.00 (ZOOM)
The natures annual cycle concludes as we move into fall season
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Preparing the soil for next year
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How to plant garlic
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Collecting seeds for the future
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Harvest time can be stressful
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Storage methods
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Recipes
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Conclusion
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Evaluation
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Continuation?
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Your plans moving forward