November 10th
November began with a two day polar vortex months earlier than expected followed by the weather returning to normal. This shouldn't happen but it seems to becoming the norm. We drug out the row covers and threw them over the garden. Any seedlings not covered died along with one of the three rows of broccoli.
Broccoli
We began slowly setting up the hoop houses. Long gone are the days when we could go out early in the morning and then finish up at dusk. Nope. Can't do it anymore. Windy days are spent weeding and pushing the wires into the ground and then calm days are used to spread the covers. 
November 26th
Last year's garden was planted late due to drought and this year's is even further behind schedule; so much later in fact, that I am not sure the tender plants will survive January. The multiple rows of late planted green beans filled the spaces that normally would have been used to start the winter vegetables. Starting seeds early on the front porch no longer works in the fall. They seem to burn in the heat where they didn't in previous years. Call me crazy - but something has changed with the sun.
Right now we are mostly using the lettuce that was planted during the heat of summer under the shade of the okra plants. After the first frost, the okra plants were chopped down at the base leaving the roots undisturbed so as to not bother the seedlings. They are coming to the end of their life cycle and are beginning to bolt. When there isn't enough sunlight their growth will slow and it is as if they are sitting in the refrigerator patiently waiting. Most of the plants should be at least this size so as to handle February's chill.
Winter lettuce mix
Again this year the spinach has given me problems. Three rows were dedicated to them to guarantee an abundance. What we have in surplus is weeds.
This time I waited later until the soil had cooled. It has taken three plantings to get them to germinate and they are still tiny. If they are planted early they won't germinate due to the hot soil but if I wait for cooler temperatures it seems too late. The polar vortex didn't bother them under the cover so maybe they want to grow in the cold? The hoop houses are over them now and won't be open for a while. They are being left alone to do their own thing.
Bloomsdale Spinach
As of today, all of the houses are up and we are done - really, really finished for the year!! All that is left is to lift a cover from time to time and harvest when the refrigerator is empty. There are seventeen rows which is quite a bit but the seedlings are small so it isn't certain there will be a harvest. Of course, there never is any guarantee of anything when gardening. You take what you get. Overall, I'm please with what we have and am ready for a rest. It is time to check out the seed catalogs that are filling my mailbox.
