December 2012 New England

It's finally December and the year is soon to come to a close. We should be seeing scenes like this soon, if you are not already stuck in the white stuff.

Absolutely beautiful and thanks for sharing. Hope you don't mind if I borrow it for my PC wallpaper.

LOL, I don't mind. That is Central Square, Keene, NH.

Do you have any white stuff, Camp? We had a few inches that hung around for a couple of days until it rained and rained and rained...and now it's all gone...I'm worried about my little garlic bulbs shivering without their winter snow blanket...

No snow on the ground yet. The garlic is perfectly snug in the bed.

Do you prefer tarping over your beds that contain garlic or leave the bed uncovered but use mulch around the garlic?

llama momma wrote:Do you prefer tarping over your beds that contain garlic or leave the bed uncovered but use mulch around the garlic?

Usually I wait until after the ground is frozen then I place pine boughs and a few leaves on top of the bed as insulation. When there's snow, I will pile that on top too.

camprn wrote:

llama momma wrote:Do you prefer tarping over your beds that contain garlic or leave the bed uncovered but use mulch around the garlic?

Usually I wait until after the ground is frozen then I place pine boughs and a few leaves on top of the bed as insulation. When there's snow, I will pile that on top too.

Ok

Recent temps are all over the place leading to my confusion and slight frustration
And some of the garlic is all of 6 inches tall, maybe more - that kinda scares me too..
Think this year I'll leave the critter cages on to keep out the cats plus add leaves as you suggested.

llama momma wrote:

camprn wrote:

llama momma wrote:Do you prefer tarping over your beds that contain garlic or leave the bed uncovered but use mulch around the garlic?

Usually I wait until after the ground is frozen then I place pine boughs and a few leaves on top of the bed as insulation. When there's snow, I will pile that on top too.

Ok

Recent temps are all over the place leading to my confusion and slight frustration
And some of the garlic is all of 6 inches tall, maybe more - that kinda scares me too..
Think this year I'll leave the critter cages on to keep out the cats plus add leaves as you suggested.

My guess is you are seeing so much foliage because you planted your garlic pretty early. The garlic will be fine! At least you know that they all have roots and are growing.

My garden is asleep. The green tops of the garlic are buried now in fall leaves. The parsnips are asleep under the ground. The asparagus fronds are all browning up and dying back. Everything else is done out there.
Inside I still have lettuce growing under the lights, and my indoor herb pots are still producing: parsley, rosemary, chives, thyme, tarragon and lemon balm. My meals can still get a good shot of fresh herbs.

Today we got another dusting of snow.....and the cold keeps on coming. Days in the 30s and nites in the 20s or high teens mostly here in southwestern Maine. I love it when it reaches the 40s and the sun is shining. Its almost a heat wave and the dogs and I can take our 'walkies,' them with tails wagging.

The best thing is the seed catalogs. They keep coming and I keep browsing and checking off things I might try......way too many actually. I'll certainly have to cut back before I order. My garden plan has been changed about 4 times already and I expect it'll change a few more times before spring. The anticipation keeps me going thru the long, cold winter.
Enjoy the restful winter everyone!

Hmm. I have not gotten any catalogs yet. I wonder what's up with that...

So far I've got Johnny's, Peaceful Valley, High Mowing, Baker Creek, and Pinetree so I've been a happy camper.

camprn, Central Square, Keene sure is beautiful.

I never thought about shoveling snow ONTO my beds, but you just gave me that idea. Poor man's fertilizer, right?

Johnnys sent out a seed catalog? Hmm. I'm emailing them right now.

I like the Pinetree catalog. They have small amounts for smaller prices for small gardens. Just perfect for me and my garden.
Go to www.superseeds.com and request a catalog.

I guess I picked Johnnys coz they are in NE so I figure their seeds are just right for us. Also, a lot the organic farmers here use them.

My garden is still going, believe it or not. The beets and carrots are still out there and hopefully growing bigger. Two boxes have been put to bed, fresh compost layers the tops.

A while back I transferred the lettuces into an old litter box and put them in the bay window. They are doing great and I still have salads for lunch. Bought only one bag of lettuce to eat while the babies were recovering from transplant shock.

The windows I placed over the swiss chard and whatever else is out there seems to be working so far as it continues to grow. I took the windows off a few days ago as our weather has been so warm lately - 50's day, not much less at night. Cold tonight though, so I'll put the windows back on, but need to build up the sides as the chards are tall enuff to touch the windows now. I'm even thinking about bringing some in to see how it does in the bay window - maybe a pot full.

Camp, that photo of Keene is stunning! Thanks for sharing that.

Sunny days but cold nites ahead here on old Cape Cod. No snow yet and only one frost to speak of. At some point we'll be hunkering down but not yet.

CC

Thanks quiltbea, I just requested a catalog from them too.

I'm getting very excited and very ready to get my order ready.

I guess I picked Johnnys coz they are in NE so I figure their seeds are just right for us.

This is the same reason I like using Souther Seed Exposure for Mid atlantic and southeast.

Kay

Finally updated my photos today of my crazy window garden:

I know it's a mess, but baby, it's COLD outside:

Beets, carrots & radishes under the windows:

I thinned the carrots this morning:

Three squares of swiss chard are a surprise. I thought they were done at last harvest and they came back. Here's one:

More carrots around the edges of the box, with some scallions and garlic shoots in the center:

A remnant from summer. And yes, that is a spinach above it, but that's as big as they got this fall.

I have no idea what will happen from here on in. We've had frost and 20's at night for a couple of days now. The windows are staying on 24/7 since it's so cold out and they are 'leaky' enuff to keep things cool in the sun. As long as they don't blow off and everything dies, I'll update again in a week or so.

CC

Beautiful, CC! The garden that keeps on going. Love your avatar too.

Its nice to see some N.E. gardens still with green growing. Good for you.

CapeCoddess wrote:Finally updated my photos today of my crazy window garden:

I know it's a mess, but baby, it's COLD outside:

snip...

CC you've inspired me to work on a "crazy window garden" for next year. Our local architectural salvage store is going out of business, and I've got my eye on some nice big windows...I'm thinking of going in with a lead-testing kit and ask if I can test the paint on them & if they come out clean...I might just throw something together like what you've got. How much season-extending do you think you got from them?

mollyhespra wrote:How much season-extending do you think you got from them?

I don't really know since this is my first year SFG'ing. Also, the weather has been a bit warmer than normal, but I was going to stop about 3 weeks ago. First frost was supposed to be Nov 1. *shrug* I think it came more like Dec 1.

I need to raise the flat windows as the greens under them are touching the plexi-glass or whatever that is on those windows. They aren't glass. I'm thinking of cutting some...something to make higher sides in the boxes. I'll figure it out this week end and see how far I can go with it. I love a fun challenge , just don't like cold.

CC

mollyhespra wrote:

CapeCoddess wrote:Finally updated my photos today of my crazy window garden:

I know it's a mess, but baby, it's COLD outside:

snip...

CC you've inspired me to work on a "crazy window garden" for next year. Our local architectural salvage store is going out of business, and I've got my eye on some nice big windows...I'm thinking of going in with a lead-testing kit and ask if I can test the paint on them & if they come out clean...I might just throw something together like what you've got. How much season-extending do you think you got from them?

Just go get them and paint over the existing paint to seal it on.

And so it begins:



Nothing from the garden unfortunately, but I've learned that I need to plant A LOT more so that I can can!

Any of you have photos of yours to share please for inspiration?

CC