No, not me. Although I did manage to actually stay in bed and sleep last night, so that's a plus.
No, I put the garden to bed this morning. I think I was actually supposed to put the garden to bed for the winter before winter was, you know, here. And despite the calendar telling me winter doesn't officially start until the 21st, it sure felt a hell of lot like winter outside this morning. Don't try telling me that 28 degrees with a howling wind and some snow isn't winter. Because I was OUT THERE and YES IT IS.
Stupid calendar.
ANYWAY.
So! Yes! The last attack of Garden Crazy occurred this morning, as I bolted outside to work as soon as Cubby went down for his first nap. I didn't stop to eat breakfast, even, because when Cubby goes down, I'd better go out if I want to get anything done. And I really needed to get this stuff done today, as our weather forecast is distinctly Wintery. Like, many feet of snow and single-digit temperatures Wintery. Starting tonight.
So, ass in gear and out to garden this morning to finally dig up the late-planted carrots (small and not really worthwhile) and potatoes (possibly got too cold and may not be usable, but we shall see). Plus I dug up a few leeks while I was out there, because if I have leeks in the house I can always find some way to use them. Then I hauled about eight wheelbarrow-loads of rotted hay to cover the remaining leeks and the row of parsnips so that the ground will not freeze solid around them, thereby rendering them pretty much useless as a winter crop.
The collards are still out there, too, but I didn't do anything with them.
Then I dragged myself and my running nose back inside, where I found that SURPRISE! Cubby never actually went to sleep after I put him down. But A. had him, so it was okay. And the garden is now ready for winter.
10 comments:
Yeah, I've never understood why everyone calls winter solstice the first day of winter. As the turning point between days getting shorter to days getting longer again, doesn't it make more sense for that to be midwinter? (Like that carol!) The Celtic calendar seems to make more sense, with Nov 1 marking the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter.
The official dates of the seasons seem pretty far behind to me. Winter seems like it starts in late November, not December, and we all know summer starts long before the end of June. The onset dates for Spring and Autumn actually seem reasonable to me, so I guess summer and winter just seem longer. I don't mind about winter really, since it is my favorite, but I could totally eliminate summer weather and be happy about it. But seriously? To me, the beginning of winter basically coincides with the onset of the holiday season, at the end of Thanksgiving. It makes sense, right? You are thankful for the autumn harvest, so once that is done, you are ready for winter, and it is obviously cold outside, so it is therefore winter.
Wow, that was long.
Mine are only half put to bed. I will be working on it as the snow melts and doing my best to move frozen hay bales and split them to cover gardening spaces.
Well, that worked out. You got lots done...but A didn't. They need a little 'man' time together anyway. :)
I agree with everyone about how winter is already here.
Beth
word verification - saggests
old lady boobies
Mine never did get properly put to bed for winter. I dumped piles of compost on the plot, then took a break because I was just recovering from gout. Then I came down with a flu-like virus that knocked me out for a week. Then the ground froze. Yes, that was it. My garden now have mounds of frozen compost under a mantel of white - poetic, no? Snort.
Well, I hope you'll sleep better at night now, too!
Hi Kristin, I just discovered your blog (followed you from Farmgirl Susan) and love it! I'm a transplanted So Cal city girl veg gardener and have transplanted to Eastern CT, where growing conditions are to say the least, different :). I'd love to grow leeks here. Can you tell me when you typically plant them and how? Thanks for any help you can share. Stay warm, Cary
Cary: Leeks are awesome! Grow leeks! So here's how I do it: I make the MiL do it all.
Just kidding. Although she does always take care of the leeks, for unknown reasons. Anyway, she buys the plugs. Plugs are just tiny plants--they look like little wispy pieces of grass. You can grow your own plugs by starting from seed in trays in the house under lights, which is cheaper, but we don't bother. She just buys the plugs from a seed company and they come all ready to plant.
We're in zone 5 verging on 6, and my handy blog tells me the MiL planted out leek plugs on May 17. They are somewhat laborious to plant, as each leek needs its own personal hole made with a pencil. Then, after they've gotten to pretty good size, you're supposed to draw the dirt up around them. The more covered with dirt they are, the more of the white edible part you get.
I think our leeks were ready for use by September, but we leave them in the ground all winter, covered with leaves or straw. A. dug some up for me just today, in fact. Last year I was still harvesting leeks in March. Somewhat sad-looking, but edible.
I always try to use a few leeks in tuna casserole. Good vegetable flavor. : )
My word: menesse. Something guys do every month. lol!
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