Winter Gardening

[melkor]

I've been amazed by what can be grown here over the winter - this year we've grown celery, red onions, two kinds of garlic, spinach, salad greens, leeks, and arugula. Most of the stuff in the herb garden does well over the winter too - Basil is the only real exception.

The asparagus has been poking its head out of the ground for the past few weeks, so I guess that means winter is coming to an end. How did your gardens do over the winter? What else could I have grown over the winter months?

[Vervain]

I've got sugar snap peas that are just flowering now, the seeds were planted in November. I know of someone else in SoCal who sowed in October and has been getting peas for awhile now. I've been harvesting lots of Mesclun and about 10 other lettuces for most of what we here call "winter." A few tomatoes and peppers held on until January and most of the herbs are doing fine. Oh yeah, and I've been harvesting Kale (first time for me) for a month now. I never knew that if you cut leaves when they're young, you can eat them raw and they're a little sweet!

My tomato and pepper seedlings are sitting under lights in my laundry room and when this rain stops, I'll be giving them their first transplant.

[melkor]

I need to start seedlings for my spring garden soon.... I wonder if snap peas will germinate outside this time of year.

[jschyun]

I have squash out (Zephyr, Johnny's), along with the usual spring garden: carrots, mesclun, turnips (harvested young), beets (all colors), spring onions.

put in snow and regular peas (green arrow i think). most eaten by rats here.

Started Costoluto Fiorintino, Kellogg's Breakfast, and Jelly Bean tomatoes have all sprouted. I usually hold off until march or april to transplant. They usually just sit there if I do it earlier. Brandywine and Marianne's Peace doing nothing.

Starting Petit Gris de Rennes, and Blacktail mountain melons. Tons of cukes. I can't take care of it all so entrusted others to care for garden.

Asian eggplants from Renees seeds again, the tricolor pack.

Lilac peppers from Johnny's.

Basil also gets killed here. they'll go till sept and then gone. Korean mint doing well, one was killed but other survived. english/lemon/ caraway thymes all doing well. santolina doing well and needs haircut. all mints killed by drought except spearmint.

[mongo_jones]

I've been amazed by what can be grown here over the winter - this year we've grown celery, red onions, two kinds of garlic, spinach, salad greens, leeks, and arugula. Most of the stuff in the herb garden does well over the winter too - Basil is the only real exception.

The asparagus has been poking its head out of the ground for the past few weeks, so I guess that means winter is coming to an end. How did your gardens do over the winter? What else could I have grown over the winter months?

if it wasn't for the layer of snow in the backyard here in boulder i'd try to grow me some winter squash. i would like to have my own herb-garden--even if in a box--and welcome any tips on how to start one. keep in mind i live in colorado.

[jschyun]

Well, the winter/spring garden is almost at a close here. I didn't plant much this winter, started late, but I did manage to eat some baby turnips and beets today. Fried in some butter, for lack of creativity, but they turned out so good I ate them straight from the pan.

Lettuces are growing long, Korean mint is growing wild all over the place, herbs of every kind are springing back up again. Spinach is doing well, and ready for harvest.

I found some lovely tomato plants at Rogers Gardens last week, so despite having 14 starts already growing I bought 5. Big Pink and White Stripes, Kellogg's Breakfast, Marianne's Peace, Black Cherry, Cuostralee. I am already growing a couple of these from seed so I don't know what the hell I was thinking.

Here's a crappy looking (but very good tasting, at least to me) salad I made from some too big lettuce, tatsoi, and leftover king crab mixed with some Ken's Steakhouse Caesar salad dressing. It was half eaten before I remembered to take a pic. I added a couple of lettuce leaves to make it look fuller.

[Kouign Aman]

I gotta remember this thread about next October.

Roger's Gardens - I never thought of them as a source for veg plants.

Thanks for the heads up.

[mukki]

I gotta remember this thread about next October.

Roger's Gardens - I never thought of them as a source for veg plants.

Thanks for the heads up.

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They've got a great collection of tomato plants -- maybe 50+ varieties? I've been buying mine there for a couple of years now. This year includes Momotaro, Abraham Lincoln, Black Krim and Brandywine. Laguna Hills Nursery is a great resource for fruit trees -- they know which ones grow best in this area and the owner always has a spot-on recommendation. He suggested I grow boysenberries and now we look forward to boysenberry pie every June!