How I managed to reach age 50 and never get the memo that garden-time runs all year long is beyond me. I’ve gardened for at least half of my life; mostly herbs and flower beds, and my M.O. has been to give up on gardening in late summer. As the days grew shorter, I would lose interest in the garden and let it run riot. My assumption about gardening and the onset of winter was, “game over, dude”, so I’d store the tools with great plans for the next coming spring.
A couple of years ago I began trying my hand at vegetable gardening. The “fruits of my labor” – pun intended – were short of miraculous, but we had some successes. As the harvest waned late that summer, as usual, I began thinking about cool weather activities. But later in the year, almost by chance, I returned to the garden to find vegetables! Several of the plants kept growing: Collards and cabbages and broccoli greens. We enjoyed these sporadically throughout the winter. Who knew? Not me!
Since my accidental discovery, I’m being more proactive with my winter gardening. We’ve eaten young greens in salads, and I’ve cooked small sides of collards, rutabagas, and cabbage. The parsley, having reseeded itself with no help from me, is spreading like wildfire. Dill and cilantro plants “volunteered” as well. Oh, joy! These winter plants are a modest showing — but I just love that I did it.
What I think is so cool about all this is that it is so enjoyable. There is something that I get from working the earth that I simply cannot get from any other activity. Let’s just say I take from the winter garden at least what I put into it — even if I return to the house with empty hands. A little warmth from the sun is good for what ails you and a full day of it cures anything… almost!
All that aside, I want these gardens to produce more. I know it can happen. I’m looking into scheduling my plantings for maximum production and leaning on those plants which seem to like it here. Also, I am trying very hard to succeed in using exclusively my own resources to fertilize the garden. I know I can purchase earth-friendly products for the garden; I have in the past, and — if need be — will again. I view this as a friendly challenge to myself. So far, I’ve used “woods dirt” in the garden along with my leaf-and-vegetable-scrap compost, but I believe it’s not enough. I’m thinking my soil needs a bit more “oomph”.
My daughter recently told me of a method for creating something called “compost tea”. Doesn’t that just sound delightful? You speed up your compost to create a kind of liquid fertilizer. From my understanding, the process includes a bucket and a fish tank pump and some tubing. It’s just the kind of science-fair-projecty thing I used to love when I was a kid. Besides, we have all kinds of unused aquarium gear in the shed and the attic. Why not make this unusual “tea”? But that will be another story.
For now, I’ll continue and plan for next year, because each year yields many, many lessons learned. I think becoming a successful gardener is probably a lot like learning to make a pie crust. You struggle and piece together and do over, and then one day, I think on about pie number 17, you just become endowed with the skill. At least that’s what I’m counting on! That and the fact that I am my mother’s daughter.
2 thoughts on “Oh, yes — you CAN have a garden in winter!”
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Great article – encouragement galore!
Is it too late to plant some “wintery” herbs – or too “early”?!
Thanks, y’all, for all the information
My dill, cilantro, parsley, sage and oregano have survived all winter so far, although it has been mild. I think you might want to start them indoors and then put them out when they’re a couple of inches tall. Good luck!