Normally winter is a barren and unproductive time in the garden, apart from the usual suspects that at this time of year are beginning to be regarded as boring – well the cauliflower is. I planted heaps without checking that the freezer was already full of them and to compound the problem I somehow planted a row I what I hoped to be broccoli for them to develop a lovely white curd in the centre and not the lush green I was expecting – opps. I’m giving them away now.
All the other winter crops are still developing so we haven’t had any cabbage, Brussels sprouts, carrots, beetroot or broad beans at all. I think the soggy soil is holding them back. We haven’t had rain for a while now and it is turning from a soggy winter with grey days to a cold winter with sunny days. The “experts” have stated the worst of winter is over and things should get better and by the end of August we should have a whole hour extra of sunshine. Hopefully the ground will dry out and the mud will disappear, which will be great news for the Joeyosaurus. I sent him out the other evening to shut the greenhouse door and when he didn’t come back in I found him stuck up to his ankles in the mud crying. Luckily I found him before he started to freak out. The mud was holding on to his gumboots tighter than his little 5 year old legs could pull them up. I haven’t asked him to do that job again.
Now I am just rambling on about the weather. I find that as a gardener it has become almost an obsession as to what the weather is up to and I’m sure I bore people with it, almost as much as when I talk about the garden. People ask me how I’m doing and I invariably end up replying “great, but I wish the rain would stop so the garden will dry out.” It’s up there with the madness that prompts people meeting at a doctor’s clinic to respond to the same question with “I’m fine” which clearly you aren’t or you wouldn’t be at doctor’s clinic.
Anyway, I started writing this blog to share with you the exciting treasures to be found in my greenhouse and I let my fingers take over the keyboard and all this other stuff came out…
So in my greenhouse I have a red tomato, a red pepper, an eggplant, a sunflower and 3 potato shoots – all of which are out of season and doing great! What started as an experiment to “see if I could” has brought excitement to an otherwise impatient gardener. But it won’t be long now, before I can start planting those spring seeds… how cool will it be to nibble fresh tomatoes while doing so!
Come again soon – spring is around the corner – I can feel it in my bones!
Sarah the Gardener : o )