At this time last year in our garden, we were picking broccoli and cabbage already. It just proves how weather can really affect the growth of the garden. We’ve have had an extremely wet and cold winter so far and last year a really mild winter.
This is our garden last year at 12 weeks Look how big the cabbage and everything in general is.
Now here we are this week at 12 weeks and there is a big difference is size. Of course the snow we had a few weeks ago didn’t help.
Never the less we still have growth and a healthy garden, just a little smaller than we’d like. But it will get there, that is if this cold artic blast we are getting for the next few days doesn’t hurt the garden even more.
On to the garden
We have some cauliflower heads starting, soon DT will pull the leaves up around the heads and hold them with rubber bands to keep them from browning. If they are exposed to light they will brown.
Our cabbage is sadly small but still healthy, see the bottom leaves are a bit purple from our first freeze.
the carrots are doing good.
The broccoli has some pretty sized heads but they need to get a little bigger before we cut them.
We have some small brussel sprouts growing, aren’t they cute.
And our turnips are doing really good, it won’t be long and they will be big enough to pick and eat and I can’t wait to make PW’s Turnip Gratin, yum!!!!
The Swiss Chard is ready to eat, in fact I think I will pick some for dinner tonight. My favorite way to cook them is in 1-2 tablespoons of bacon grease, saute 1/2 an onion and 2 cloves of garlic, then add the swiss chard and cook until wilted and still slighty crunchy season with salt and pepper. Yum!!! Even the boys love to eat them like this.
our leaf lettuce is ready for some picking as well.
Check out this butter lettuce. I see lots of salad in my future. Sadly our spinach did not turn out at all this year.
and the beets are slowly growing. I still have no clue what to do with them once they are ready, any suggestions?
What is your favorite winter vegetable?
I will be posting weekly of the garden so please click on each week for more details. week 1, week 2, week 4 , week 7, and week 8
This post is listed @
My Romantic Home“Show and Tell Friday”,
Canada Girl, “Show and Tell Friday”,
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Hosted by Cecily and Carrie
he Inspired Room “Its a beautiful Life Friday”
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{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
My, Im speechless. I have always wanted to have a garden like that but never had one. Thanks for sharing.
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Until you I had no idea winter gardens could even happen and certainly not as beautifully as yours. WOW!
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Your garden looks great!! I am hungry for salad now that I saw all the pictures of leaf and butter lettuce! Yum!!!
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I could not be more jealous. Everything looks so beautiful. Our garden is the most pitiful thing. That which is not dead is stunted. I’m living vicariously through you.
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What a beautiful winter garden! (even if it isn’t as big as last years’)
hmmm, you could use the beets and make juice
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Ok…I have HUGE garden envy right now!! I want spring!!!
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Wow….i’m impressed with BOTH gardens!!!
My Show n Tell, HERE, —it’s 32 degrees out, and I have one lone iris blooming!!! Come see the rich beautiful purple!!…in the dead of winter.
Happy Friday!
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That’s it. I am moving south.
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I wish I could just grow one garden… and grow two! Enjoy the fruits of your labors!
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It looks lovely–I love pickled beets and those look just about right
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What an amazing garden. We tried tomatoes and killed them. I’ll stick to farmers markets.
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Your garden looks great. We have lettuce, broccoli, carrots, onions, and some herbs right now. But like you…we didn’t get as much yield this year as we did the previous year. My hubby says it’s because it was too wet last fall.
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Wait a second. You mean to tell me this is your garden NOW? Like Jan 8, 2010? RU serious? As I look out at 2 1/2 feet of snow, I’m stunned! I mean, I know lots of states can garden year round….well…a few states…but I just never really thought much about that.
How LUCKY you are! And…lol, I had no idea there were ‘winter veggies’ and ‘summer veggies’, lol. The grocery store just stocks the shelves. ha haha.
Actually, I’d really love to grow cauliflower in the next growing season for me….or is that not a summer one? Good Lord. First you inspire me to garden and now I’m thinking about growing veggies in January, lol. Btw, we’ve decided to grow bigger this year! Thanks for all your gardening tips last spring!
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Well, thanks a lot. Now I’m hungry all over again.
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Best recipe using beets ever (I never knew I liked beets until I made this)
Take your beets and some other winter root veggies, carrots, turnips, even radishes, dice them up and put in a square casserole pan (just use as much as you have, I just like to fill the pan about half way. Toss with olive oil, a touch of salt and pepper and some thyme (dried is fine) cook covered at 400degrees for 45min-1hour or until easily pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven, crumble goat cheese on top and drizzle with a Balsamic reduction (75% reduction) and put back in the oven for <5 min, just long enough to soften and warm the cheese.
It is such a sweet and delicious recipe. Almost tastes like dessert to me.
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