December has been uneventful in the garden. The weather has been cold and wet so the hoop houses have stayed closed except when I needed to pick something.
When I finally removed all of the covers, it was surprising to see how the plants have recovered from my heavy harvesting.
Scarlet Kale is my favorite of all of the kale varieties. It was green when it first sprouted but the cold weather has changed the color and improved the flavor. Now it is sweeter (well, sweet for kale) and is delicious.
The only excitement is that Pai Tsai has decided to bolt and go to seed...in December??? I don't know if this is normal but no matter what is going on, it's still edible. The others were chopped down and are sprouting. Soon the new leaves will be big enough to harvest.
Last month I shared in detail about the many varieties I have planted. This month, nothing important has changed.
"WHAT! How can you say nothing important has changed?" demanded Scooter. "Pack Leader shaved my fur then a blizzard from the North Pole immediately blew in. I spend all of my time wearing my new sweater and snuggled up on the electric blanket trying to stay warm."
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| GASP! LOSING MY FUR COAT IS IMPORTANT |
When Scooter received his new sweater
Scooter Writes a Thank You Note
When Scooter got a haircut
Scooter, A New Image
Last Month's November Garden (2018)
Last Year's December Garden (2017)
Wow, your garden looks so lush and healthy (and tasty)! Scooter is a cutie-pie!
ReplyDeleteScooter is very content to spend his days curled up on the bed until someone pulls out his leash - then he goes wild!
DeleteScooter lying on an electric blanket, - so cosy ! I know this because my sister gave me an electric blanket some days ago. Now I would not be without it any more. I switch it on about 30 minutes before I go to bed and then I switch it off. I appreciate this wonderful warm bed so very much. Scooter really knows where the best place is.
ReplyDeleteChristel
Scooter always knows the best places.
DeleteI love our electric blanket. We have a small one that only covers the foot of the bed. It keeps my toes warm all night long.`On really cold nights I will crank it up on high and then in the middle of the night be awaken by Scooter panting because he is hot. He has figured out to jump down where it is cooler on the floor.
Our winter has been quite mild so far. We did get a very heavy frost this morning and it got down to 28, but it quickly warmed up into the upper 40's. It took a while to get the van de-iced, as we went over to my sister's house to do some planning for the next couple of weeks. It's no small chore to get 2 family's activities down in my "black book" calendar. We planned out the family birthday party next Sunday. We planned out a formal dinner the youth pastor asked her to organize at her house, and he wants real plates and courses. So, we have a good plan. And, last, but not least, we planned our work schedule for the next 2 weeks.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing what you can grow year-round. Just so you know, Jake's seeds are about an inch high in his pot in the greenhouse. He just felt sick on Sunday, so he wouldn't even get off the couch for more than a couple of minutes. Today, he's back to his perky self, declaring that he wan't letting us guys in the house, and he "didn't want any" and teasing like that. I'm so glad. Poor Michaela hear Uncle's voice and was sure he was there to take her swimming as he does most Tuesdays, so came bounding out with tousled hair, ready to go. Bless her heart. She was so sad they weren't going swimming. She tried to talk us into taking her. But, it's New Year's Day. The Y wasn't open. She likes routine so much. Thursday, sweetie. Thursday. We'll get right back on track!
Your life is too exciting for me. I couldn't handle all of the activities but you are good at juggling many balls. The formal youth dinner is a fun idea and a perfect time for them to dress up and practice using their manners. Nobody dresses up anymore, that includes me. Jeans and tee shirts.
ReplyDeleteThe pictures of all those greens makes my mouth water! If you had to recommend one plant that you think would be the most cold hardy, what would you say?
ReplyDeleteI had to think about this question but then also ask, "What cold hardy vegetable tastes the best in my opinion?" It would be collard greens. Tronchuda Kale and Scarlet Kale would be close seconds. Savoy cabbage is also extremely hardy but it grows so slow. If I could only grow one plant, it would be collard greens. If I had an apartment balcony garden, (like your awesome garden) I would plant Afina cutting celery. Don't know if it would survive in a pot, but it can really take bitter cold. Mache and Claytonia are both supposed to be great, but I have had trouble getting them to germinate. There are winter spinaches which I want to try next year plus I have found new winter vegetables in this year's seed catalogs. The more I winter garden, the more winter vegetables I discover.
DeleteGood to know, thank you! I'll keep an eye out for A final cutting celery seeds then. Organic celery is always so expensive, so I should totally try to grow my own. Thanks!
DeleteHere is a link for Afina Cutting Celery at Pinetree Garden Seeds.
Deletehttps://www.superseeds.com/search?type=product&q=afina