Things Are Better With A Hug!

   Back last month, I seriously thought my garden had met its demise.  A foot of snow covered everything...cabbages, cauliflower, broccoli and carrots.  It saddened me to think that all of the hard work put into getting a winter garden in would be killed by...what else...winter.  Snow and 14 degree temperatures are not a normal occurrence down this far south. Personally, I am glad it is not.  After the snow melted, I was surprised to see that most (not all but most) of the plants had survived.  Especially healthy looking were the carrots!  That blanket of snow did not seem to damper their ability to flourish.  What a difference in just barely a month!

  Today, being chilly, was a good day for a pot of soup.  I had made cheese bread yesterday so that just begged for a big pot of potato/broccoli/carrot soup only there were no carrots on hand and I sure was not making the trip to the store for one item.  So...potato/broccoli soup was started.  It still sounded wonderfully warming and delicious!  Midway into soup-making, I thought of my carrots in the garden!  On a whim, I dashed out the door and, sure enough, found carrots large enough to harvest.  I grabbed about a dozen and hurried back to add them to my pot of soup.

  While I was washing the carrots, I noticed that two of the carrots had literally "hugged" each other while growing.  They had twisted around on another in a tight spiral.  Sweet!  A thought occurred to me as I stirred the huge pot of soup.  Perhaps those two carrots were befuddled by the drastic temperature change last month and held onto each other for support!  Probably not except in my imagination.  I have a tendency to look for niceties whenever possible.  After all, all things are better with a hug!

  

Not A Rockachaw!

   Back on the old farm place, Pop planted a lot of different crops but there were some that I never recall being something in the fields.  Cauliflower, broccoli, beets and spinach were always bought and never grown.  Since the farm was a working business, he planted what was in demand at the marketplace.  Obviously, there was not much demand for these items so they were not planted in mass quantity like the other crops.  I, on the other hand, have a small garden that is for personal use so planting what is in "demand" only relates to what I wish to eat and it is on a small scale.  I love any type of vegetable so have a smattering of a lot of different things.  This winter, I planted each of the aforementioned things along with other greens.  Everything did exceedingly well!  So well, in fact, we just could not eat everything nor could I give it away.  That said, a lot of the winter crops have been left to "go to seed".

 

  When the spinach bolted, I had little idea of what to expect.  I figured that...well, they are greens so they would shoot up the stalk with bright yellow or white flowers which would turn to tiny bean-like pods.  Nope.  Spinach has its own mind about how to make seeds and it is unlike any other plant in the garden.  The normally short leafy plant does indeed send up a tall stalk but that stalk continues to make the lovely leaves that we eat.  Once it reaches about two feet in height, where a leaf has branched from the main stalk, weird, fluffy blooms are set.  The blooms actually look mightily like rockachaws which, for those not from down here, is a sandbur with a name derived from an old Choctaw word meaning "devil grass".  As a barefoot kid, I had my share of stepping on the painful things.  The spinach blooms, however, are not painful, thankfully.  The petals are very soft to the touch.  

  I will have to keep watch on the remaining spinach plants so the seeds can be harvested.  Given the rate we eat spinach, it will be nice to have extra seeds on hand for this next winter.  Hopefully, next year's garden will be as productive as this year's.

Busy After The Peace

   It was a day of getting gardening chores done in preparation of a spring planting.  This meant I was up before dawn to pick peas, cut cauliflower heads and cabbages and pull beets.  Then, for the next 3 hours I mulched oak leaves to put in new rows once the winter garden fades.  (Word of advice...if you do not have a market for cauliflower and cabbage, never....NEVER...plant a hundred of each.  After the first few offerings, you cannot give them away to anyone.  These are not unlike the proverbial zucchini giveaways.)  After all of that, I headed to the greenhouse to check the seedling tomatoes and peppers.

  This was not before I had made my rounds like every other morning.  The water called so I heeded.  The Bayou sometimes has a pull like no other.  This morning, as the moon was setting and the sun was peeping over the pines on the opposite shore of the Bayou, I was mesmerized by the golden hue set upon the water.  The last lingering pair of hooded mergansers were awash in the shimmery glow of the rising sun.  This...this is what draws me each morning and holds my heart during the day.  It was hard to break loose and attend those chores but it had to be done.  Tomorrow will be much the same as I am trying to work around the storms that hit us each spring.  At least, I have the golden morns to start the day even after the mergansers migrate.

"Learning to Cauliflower"

   Growing up on the farm, we never planted cauliflower.  The fields were planted with crops that were "longer producing" meaning you could harvest numerous times from one planting.  This was done to make the best use of the area, workforce and time.  My memories of cauliflower are strictly of this being a "treat" for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.  It was "special".  

  For the past few years, I have grown cauliflower in the Small Gardens with iffy success.  The plants would grow but the heads never looked like that wonderfully white (huge) head from the store.  So, I set out to learn how to achieve that.  This year proved to be a good "training" year.  Mark bought seeds for my winter garden in the early fall.  He brought the usual assorted seeds...greens, cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower and peas.  Come October, I had the seeds in and felt that I could handle this winter garden with ease since so many people had asked for seedlings.  There were a LOT of seeds in those packets.  Approximately 100 of each type!  I planted them all.  Obviously, there were only two broccoli seeds in the whole lot.  All of what was supposed to be broccoli turned out to be cauliflower!  TWO HUNDRED cauliflower plants...and, get this...nary a person showed up to get their seedlings.  The vegetable plot spilled over into the flower gardens.  Those seedlings were planted far to close together and in the oddest spots.  Not only in the ground but in any empty pot that I could find.  Cauliflower plants were everywhere!

  The goofy things were super slow growing and I pondered if I would ever get a single head.  Son and I decided to eat cauliflower "greens" (which, by the way, are delicious!).  I fretted that snipping the leaves might hinder the growth of heads but since we had so many, it seemed logical.  Now...this week...the cauliflower has decided to head.  I have cauliflower!  The first few immediately turned a rosy pink and were bitter.  Oh, yeah...I remember reading somewhere that I needed to "tie up" the leaves to protect the head from the sun.  Well, I am lazy.  Instead of going to the trouble of tying the leaves, I merely bent the large leaves over the head until the stems snapped.  They were still connected and formed the perfect thatched "roof" over the head.  Within two days, the head went from about the size of a golf ball to almost the size of a nice, rounded volley ball!  The heads were about 8 inches in diameter and snowy white!  Oh, my!  Maybe bending the leaves was not such a bad idea!  In fact, it was rather exciting to open the leaves to find the head...almost like unwrapping a gift!

  What a treat to be able to make a quick dash to the garden to gather lunch.  The cabbages and cauliflower are favorites but beets, mustard greens and green peas are tops, also.  All of these plants can handle cold weather pretty well and should be considered.  I worried that a freeze might damage the plants but then found out that the temperatures would have to dip well below the freezing mark for a good number of days before it would harm them.  (Think below 20 degrees!)  Here in the Deep South, our winters are mild so the plants did their own things and did it well.

Slow Growers

   Ahh, yes!  Even though the weather is getting a tad too warm, the green peas are finally blooming!  The seeds were planted months ago and promptly sprouted.  Then, a spate of inclement weather set in and the plants sat at three inches tall for over a month!  They did not grow at all.  I fertilized, weeded, mulched and provided a lovely fence for them but they sat idle.  I was a tad disappointed, to say the least.  To me, there is nothing more pathetic that those who do not even try...plants included. Then, suddenly, a growth spurt came and the fence is starting to be covered and, better yet, there are blooms!  I can already taste those fresh green peas!  

   It is sort of funny how plants let you know when they want to grow and when they would rather not be bothered.   It was the same with the cabbages, mustard greens, broccoli, cauliflower and spinach.  It took forever for them to mature but, oh, when they did, we ate fine!  The carrots, on the other hand, are still tiny.  Hopefully, they will be inspired by the peas.  Here it is time for the spring garden to be put in and I am still waiting for the winter garden to do its thing!  Hurry it up a bit, plants!

Frosty Greens!

   Frost on plants is a funny thing.  If the plants are cold hardy at all, most will survive a frost even a heavy one.  Those short-lived cold snaps actually do garden plants good, in my view.  After being stunted by the weather, the plants will kick it in gear and have a growth spurt.  It is all about survival.  Let something threaten plants and they have that innate need to hurry things up a bit.  Plants sole goal in life is to reproduce so when that is in danger, they strive harder to flourish and make strong, health seeds.  Frost on the leaves is not a bad thing, in most cases.

  Lately, the greens in the garden have been frost-laden each morning.  This is due to the heavy fog overnight and the drop in temperatures.  By morning, the cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower and mustard greens are wearing a thick coat of frost.  Then the sun rises, warms a bit and the frost starts to melt.  Each little droplet runs down the leaves to puddle until it is heavy enough to fall to the ground.  There, the dirt greedily soaks it up and the plants are watered.  It is all in nature's plan.  The way most leaves are shaped and the way they are set on the plants causes water to run down to where it is most needed.  Mother Nature is not stupid!  Make the most of what is there.

  Son and I enjoyed the first head of cabbage from the garden this week and been having mustard greens every other day.  The broccoli and cauliflower will soon be ready, as well.  Winter gardens are actually far easier to tend as weeds and plant-munching insects are not as likely to invade the garden plot.  Neither seem to appreciate the frost.  Happy gardening, folks.  Go plant some greens!

Winter...the time to garden!

   Early this fall, I put a lot of cabbage plants in the garden.  They are doing well and are making heads.  It won't be long before we can dine upon lovely, fresh cabbage.  In the meantime, however, we have been enjoying the mustard greens several times a week.  Those things grow so fast!  I, also, planted broccoli and cauliflower.  Broccoli has been in the garden in the past and has done remarkably well but I have never attempted cauliflower.  Well, I was surprised today to find that the cauliflower is heading right along side of the broccoli!  The fall/winter garden is doing amazingly well!  

  That said, it was time to add to the garden goodies.  Spinach and beets were planted today!  I have a few more seeds to put in as soon as I can get rows made.  Once the seeds sprout and the plants are about four inches tall, more of the (hurricane debris) mulch will be hauled up the hill and scattered under the plants.  Folks, never burn nor discard that debris!  Grind it!  Oh, my goodness!  That stuff makes incredible mulch and is improving the soil as it rots.  I will never again look at the debris line the same.  

  I did want to make mention that the home supply stores down here have no inkling of fall/winter gardens.  Seeds are sold "seasonally" which means nothing after August.  If you wish to plant after that time, you had better stockpile a few seeds, fertilizer and any other gardening supplies.  The employees looked at me like I was nuts when I questioned their lack of seeds.  Moral...buy early and don't depend on anyone there to have gardening knowledge.  Happy (winter) gardening, folks!  It's gonna be good!

Cabbages and Chilly Weather!

   Old Man Winter has decided to pay a visit to the Bayou.  While our "right at" freezing temperatures may pale in comparison to those a bit further north, they are cold enough for me.  As I age, I realize that I now "feel" the cold a whole lot more than in the past.  In fact, I just cannot seem to get warm.  The old wood-burning stove chugs away happily but I am still shaking in my boots.  Age and health gets in the way of feeling good, I suppose.

  For the past two mornings, the temperatures hovered just about at the freezing mark.  This laid a fine frost upon the hillside and caused a bit of concern about the garden patch.  I needn't have fretted, though, as greens of most types seem to do better when it is a bit chilly.  When I went out to check, the cabbages seemed none the worse for wear.  The caterpillars that were munching on a few leaves did not look so good, however, which is all the better for the cabbages!

  Cabbages are some of those odd plants that are pretty cold hardy and that makes growing a winter garden a lot easier.  All of the tropical potted plants have to be toted into the (now makeshift) greenhouse and have heat lamps to protect them while the cabbages and mustard greens sit right out in the garden with the icy winds whipping about them.  Seriously, I would do far better to do away with the silly tropical plants.  Life would be easier and it is getting to the point where I need to think about that aspect.  

  Tomorrow's forecast is rain!  Perhaps it will be a grand time to get a few things done inside and take a break from laboring so on the yard-work.  This hurricane cleanup is taking much longer than it has in the past.  

Poor, Sad Flowers

  Fall was here!  Fall came.  Fall went.  Winter pushed it away.  That is ok.  I am good with winter but I do not like the idea of Old Man Winter killing my plants!  He just has no right to do that, if you ask me.  Actually, I was tickled to see that my struggling marigolds took off into a wild growth spurt in October.  The gardens look at least somewhat presentable for the clue hunt teams that trotted themselves about the yard.  Each plant shot out dozens and dozens of blossoms giving that perfect "Halloween" orange to brighten the otherwise drab garden.  Splotches of orange dotted not only the gardens but wherever the seeds decided to grow.  It made me happy.  Then winter happened in just one night.  ONE NIGHT!!!

 Now the pretty blossoms have bowed their heads and look dismal.  The marigolds, along with my once thriving bell peppers, are wilted and dying.  I knew this was inevitable but had high hopes that fall would be prolonged into more than a week!  Oh, fall, where did you go?  

  Nah, I am ok with it.  The gardens will be cleared and readied for a winter garden.   I was just pondering the planting of broccoli, cabbage and mustard greens.  I suppose this plan will be put into effect a lot sooner than I had expected.  Oh, well...broccoli is good...cabbage and mustard greens...good.  So long peppers and marigolds!

Flowers in the Veggie Patch!

  Much to Son's vexation, I came across about a billion things that made me smile.  While I am one who loves flowers, he thinks plants should provide foodstuffs.  According to him, plants that cannot go to the dining table have no place in the vegetable plot.  When I showed him the delightful find of a clump of tiny marigold seedlings, he just grunted and mumbled "Great."  (Which in Son-speak does not mean the "fantastic" sort of great but rather the "things I have to tolerate" sort of great.)  He knows that I am going to try to salvage each and every one of the plants and I know he really does not mind.  We have a mutual understanding of how things work in the garden plot.

  Personally, it does seem to me that the marigolds should be in the veggie garden as they do a grand job of keeping certain pests from creepy-crawling on the other plants.  It is not a bad idea to plant a row of the flowers then intersperse things such as cabbage among them.  The marigolds are happy to share the space and, when I tried this, kept my cabbages worm-free!  Apparently, cabbage moths think twice before infiltrating the marigold patch.  

  Another couple of grand thing about these plants is the fact that down here with our mild winters, marigolds have a tendency to bloom year round and they reseed themselves.  Only the harshest of freezes seem to bother them.  When kept pruned of spent blooms, they just keep on growing.  Tossing those spent blooms in the garden provides a new batch of plants in a few weeks!  To me, the marigold blooms give a welcome splash of color in an otherwise drab winter garden space.

  So, Son!  I beg to differ with your opinion of my happy, little plants.  Their presence will enhance the veggie plot and allow us to harvest more yummy foodstuffs for our table.  (And! They are pretty!)  

Reaping the Benefits!

  You would think that the warm weather that we had this winter would have been a boon for the garden.  Not so.  In late fall, I planted my "cold-weather" crops of beets, carrots and assorted greens.  These usually do well regardless of the occasional overnight freeze.  They did not respond overly well to the warmth.  The greens grew tall and leggy while the root crops decided to not make any "roots".  The carrots and beets made lovely greens but had different ideas about bulbing out into the edible roots.  Needless to say, this was a bit disappointing.  We ate the spindly greens and even nibbled the carrot tops but overall, the winter garden was a bust.

  Now that I am planting my spring seeds, lo and behold, if the winter garden has had second thoughts!  The broccoli has started heading and the spinach flourished supplying us with an overabundance!  Even the carrots are showing bright orange at the base!  Son and I ate a lovely bunch of spinach for supper and munched fresh broccoli as a late night snack!  Tomorrow, we will pull carrots and cook a pot of broccoli leaves! (Yes, broccoli leaves!  They are delicious!) Oh, the joys of a healthy garden...even if it is a bit late!

  Perhaps it just took the plants a bit of realization that they were to be yanked from the ground before they felt the urge to produce.  This time of year, I usually clean the area of old plants to make space for the spring planting.  I will have to work around existing plants, I suppose.  I did make another discovery.  Most of the Bell Pepper plants survived the winter!  There will be no need to replace these.  As matter of fact, one plant that overwintered in the greenhouse has given us a steady supply of nice large peppers all winter!  This gives me grand ideas for next fall! I shall grow "hothouse" produce!  Veggies year round sounds like a wonderful thing, indeed!