So, here we're in the last gasp of warmth before the real cold starts. We're having fires in the evening and sunny, warm (but dry) days. Confession: I started this post three weeks ago. It's much chillier in the day now! I have been giving a lot of thought to what I'd like for this winter and I would love, love, love to have at least my own greens growing all winter long. I do have seedlings growing in the greenhouse and tall broad bean plants in the garden but they're already seeming to feel the bite of the cold. Why broad beans? They can tolerate some pretty significant drops in temperature. They're not as hardy as kale but they're decent. I may, however move them into the greenhouse or at least under the overhang of the greenhouse to keep them limping along. What else do we have growing for the winter? There's the kale and broccoli that survived the dreaded cabbage moth and is now truly spectacular. Beets And some stunning herbs, as well as seedlings coming up in the greenhouse. Those are collards, more kale, various Asian greens, corn salad, leeks, cabbage, and chard. Maybe there are others but I don't think so.
At this point, I will be ecstatic to have anything that overwinters well. I just love zipping out to the greenhouse or garden for a fresh bit of this or that. I think I'll have to consider hooping over some of the raised beds but maybe not this year. I might just have to make do with row cover. Though a hoop house inside the greenhouse and with row cover directly on the plants... that might be something to consider. If you'd like more winter gardening resources, I really enjoyed these pages: http://www.motherofahubbard.com/10-vegetables-more-cold-hardy-than-kale/ https://littlehouseontheurbanprairie.wordpress.com/ Clearly winter is coming - we have the woodstove going again. But we will be ready - or so the seedlings would suggest! Green sprouting broccoli! It definitely needs to be in bigger pots. If we have this long, slow, slide into winter, I should have a healthy crop of broccoli for the winter.
Is this not the season of the sprout? In the greenhouse, so many things are finally coming up. These are from a few days ago - Thursday, I do believe. There are pea shoots, broccoli and cauliflower. The peas went into the garden this past weekend. The broccoli and cauliflower should be getting divided into their own wee pots this coming weekend. These ones are corn - a gorgeous, multicoloured kernal corn, angelica (which I have never yet been able to start from seed), and artichokes (never before attempted for the garden).
I know it may seem like we're behind compared to where you are. Here, there is still frost on the water buckets when we get up in the morning. And, while we don't worry about stuffing the fire up, we do have a fire before bed and one again in the morning to take the edge off. This is Zone 4. What's not to celebrate? The sun is out, the hens are laying, and we have sprouts popping up daily. The most recent: Broccoli!
I am so excited. A bit nervous too, if I'm being honest. I have a lot of flats popping up with seedlings. Good thing I have gardeny friends who might want to share the bounty! |
AuthorI'm a 40-something writer and smallholder living in the wilds of BC with my family, our small herd of Nigerian Dwarf Goats, chickens, ducks, dogs, and cats. Archives
August 2017
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