From Calgary Soil to the Korean Table
Why We Started Growing Korean Vegetables in Calgary
Growing Korean vegetables at home began with a simple feeling: I missed the flavors I grew up with.
Perilla leaves, Korean peppers, green onions, napa cabbage, and radish are more than ingredients. They are part of the Korean table and part of the memories that make food feel like home.
I imagined opening the door, walking into the garden, picking what I needed, and bringing it straight to the kitchen. That idea became the start of BerryBee Garden.
Food connects us to the places we come from. A familiar vegetable can remind us of family meals, seasons, and home. Instead of searching for better stores, I began to think about growing these vegetables myself.
After all the work of planting, watering, and caring for the garden, it was nice to finally bring some of our vegetables into the kitchen. We picked what was ready, brought it inside, and used it in the meals we were making at home.
That is one of the things we enjoy most about our garden. We are not growing a large amount of food. We simply grow some of the vegetables and herbs that we like to use in our own cooking.
Challenges and Joy of Gardening in Calgary's Climate
Growing Korean vegetables in Calgary is not always easy. The weather changes quickly, the growing season is short, and the climate is different from Korea. Some plants grow well, some struggle, and some fail. But every part of the process—mistakes, weather, pests, soil, and timing—is part of the story.
BerryBee Garden is not a perfect guide. It is a record of what we learn while trying to grow the food we love in a place we now call home.
Our Journey: Connecting Home Flavors From Seed to Table
This blog follows the journey from seed to table:
Seed → Garden → Harvest → Kitchen → Korean Table.
Sometimes the result is a familiar Korean dish. Sometimes it becomes something new. The goal is not to recreate Korea exactly, but to discover what Korean food becomes when it grows in Calgary soil.
Korea is where my food memories began. Calgary is where my garden grows now. BerryBee Garden is the small space between those two homes. Maybe one day, dinner will begin with nothing more than opening the back door, taking a few steps into the garden, picking fresh leaves and vegetables, and placing a Korean meal on the table.
This is where our BerryBee Garden journey begins.
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