Nc4BO's fall/winter garden.

[nc4bo]

Peas and volunteer marigolds.

Rapini/beet experiment. Rapini is a slow grower and just now starting to take off. Some creature really mauled the seedlings when I 1st put them down and these are what's left.

Flat leaf kale, flat leaf and india mustard, turnip bottoms
Flat leaf kale, flat leaf and india mustard, turnip bottoms

Peas, flat leaf kale
Oregano, parsley, unhappy sage - teepee

Happy sage

Rosemary, oleander, honeysuckle


Spinach, onion and beans from summer seed. Onions are scattered around the yard and have some seedlings started for transplant later.
Tabasco and cayenne peppers still hanging in there.
Yum broccoli
More broccoli and a few volunteer beans
Rapeseed (makes a nice soft,tender green)


Expanding :)



Cabbage collards


Cabbages/beets

Brussel sprouts and half row of mauled rapini seedlings.

Seed basil that I'm surprised is still hanging in there after some really chilly nights.

I've got a few more seed packs of beets and spinach I want to put down before the end of this month also a few more collard plants that are still living in their starter pots.


Hope to have something green growing all through the winter by picking the leaves we need and leaving the plant in the ground. It ain't much but will easily keep us from having to spend extra $$ on produce and hopefully even enough I can give away to someone who needs it.

Happy Fall/Winter gardening DU!!

[beac]

1. I'm jealous of your lovely plot.

Container gardening means that I'm just about done until next Spring.

You rosemary is astounding. That's the one plant I hope to overwinter this year with a little babying and bringing inside on really chilly nights.

[nc4bo]

2. Aww thanks beac. I love it out there...

Didn't look at your profile to see where you live but can tell you that we have 2 rosemary bushes and they both survived through 2 winters with no care.

Those plants are about 2 years old.

We definitely have frosts, a few snow events (laughable to those from the north though) and plenty of cold last winter and they came through with no problem.

Maybe mulch and give them a little shelter of some sort from extra cold winds and heavy snows?

Good Luck with it, they make a beautiful, huge fragrant shrub and have the most beautiful little purple flowers. The bees loooooove them too!

[beac]

3. I'm in Southwest Virginia.

We're due for another brutal winter, but I won't be traveling as much, so will be able to tend to the rosemary a little better this year (last year's succumbed during the second blizzard.)

In Italy, there is an old Roman villa near Lake Garda that has huge rosemary hedges lining the walkways all over the property. So beautiful and fragrant-- just heaven.

[nc4bo]

4. Oh good! I think once they're good and established it should be ok

but needs that extra protection while it's young. Since you'll be there more you'll actually be able to make some good adjustments for bad weather.

I can only imagine how wonderful it'd be to walk past fully grown rosemary hedges. Rosemary and basil can make your mouth water by simply brushing past them.

Good Luck with your baby rosemary this winter!

[beac]

5. Just topped off the pot with fresh soil and some worm castings this morning.

I'm thinking of getting a bale of hay to bury the pot in up to the lip along with my sage, which I hope I can keep alive for a few more weeks and my amazing oregano that has survived both last winter's blizzards & this summer's 'drought' (husband forgot to water while I was away) and clearly doesn't need any extra protection, but I think it would look pretty with the three plants peeking out from the hay bale.

I'll let you know how it goes. :)

[nc4bo]

6. Harvested some more broccoli, flat leaf kale and a few collard leaves yesterday...

Cooked the some of the kale last night and gonna freeze the broccoli for later this winter.

Wouldn't happen to know the best way to freeze broccoli, would ya? I also eat the stems too but not sure if I should do the stems separately or in a different way than the florets.

Wish I could find worm castings here. Where did you get yours?

[beac]

7. I'm lucky that we have a local organic/hydroponic gardening supply place here in town.

I buy the "Wiggle Worm" brand which is available online here w/free shipping:

http://www.vermiculture.com/store_soil_builder.html?gclid=CL6elMGYi6UCFQ915Qod71i_QA


As for freezing the broccoli, I'm thinking you'd blanch it first and then freeze it, but that's just my best guess. You might want to post that question over in Cooking & Baking-- there are some smart cookies over there. :)

[XemaSab]

8. SO jealous

Our "garden" looks like a train wreck right now. :(

[Kolesar]

9. I could not start my winter garden until mid-September and the plants did not develop very much

They are small. Some did not germinate.

[NJCher]

10. huge garden!

That is one productive garden.

I have a suggestion for your sage: sage pesto. I've never made it myself but I've noticed my culinary-type husband uses it in cooking quite a bit.


Cher