The Winter That Wasn’t
It’s winter. At least, it is according to the calendar. In places like Colorado, Minnesota or Ohio, along the northern US, temperatures hover in the 10’s and 20’s and snow is on the ground. However, here in my part of Contra Costa County, and the southern half of the US, the daytime temperatures range in the 50’s and 70’s, and there’s not too much snow to speak of, except along the mountain ranges.
It’s hard to reconcile the maps and data with the gardening advice found in magazines like Sunset, Mother Nature, or Organic Gardening. In fact, it’s just plain hard to know how to garden at all in this weather.
Last year, I had a wonderful winter garden. Everything I planted grew and produced. This year, I am looking out my window at a forlorn garden. The lettuce and greens drowned in December rain and never bounced back. The broccoli Raab has already bolted, my artichokes, which were cut back, have begun to grow already, and my Kiwi, which was a no-go this summer due to the intensely hot summer temperatures, has now begun to leaf out in places. All this is happening months’ earlier than it should.
I’m sitting “Shiva” for my winter garden.
How is your winter garden growing? What have you found helpful in this warmer winter? I would love to hear from you: success or failures – all are welcome.
I am in the Midwest zone 5 growing area along the Mississippi River. It is cold and we have been going up and down the past few weeks. It goes down to below freezing then jumps to 45 and, I biked along the river one day- Crazy weather.
I have spinach out there growing under the snow-I planted last fall. It survived below zero weather. Mache should be starting in the next few months-still has snow pile upon it.. Strawberries are green out there as the snow melts, some kale survived ..as the snow melts- i am seeing green again in places-not as much white!…strange-it could be in the negatives next week the way our weather has been going the past few years-lol
We have had some below zeros and -30 wind chills this month, but NOTHING compared to last year-that one never ended! It was the ‘never-ending freeze”:-)
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