The sun was out today and the temperature reached 30 F so this sleepy bear roused, went outside and puttered about the garden – frozen though it yet is. It was a spontaneous distraction from my daily list of things to do, but I allowed it considering that there’s more snow storms on the way.
The Potager in February
Last year I maintained a makeshift cold frame – diligent about keeping the snow off the old windows. This year it has proven to be a challenge. It is buried, and has been buried, for most of our Winter. Today I yet again tried to chisel off crusty, icy snow. A few days back I actually broke one of the windows (I am not the sharpest tool in the shed), by banging on it with a broom handle in an attempt to break up the ice. I broke a lot more than I bargained for! Fortunately I had a spare window in the shed (along with those “uh, very dull tools”) that I put in place instead, but of course we have had more snow. Today I used a heavy duty plastic trowel and scraped and scooped (instead of banging) – oh, it made me long to dig in the dirt! The windows show, but the frame they are resting on is still buried in the snow. Still, I wanted the sun to seep through those frozen window panes very, very badly.
My buried cold frame.
Upon revealing the panes, I got a view inside. To my surprise, a Kohlrabi! Isn’t she beautiful? Can you make her out – the round belly just center of those GREEN leaves? I just cannot get over how AMAZING it is to grow things! Here, where we have had stretches of well below zero temperatures, there is green and by god, Kohlrabi!
Kohlrabi!
I know I do not use this cold frame to its potential. I am sort of a hack gardener. Read about a real professional who knows how to deal with a cold climate here. Honestly, I really do not know what the heck I am doing but if I can grow a Kohlrabi in this Winter, so can anyone! I am very much an experimental gardener. I read a lot, and research a lot, but I forget most of it. When it comes down to it, my guiding hand is usually “what the heck, let’s try it.” So, here I am experimenting with my makeshift cold frame for the second Winter. I have beets (alive!), parsnips (alive!) and Kohlrabi(#*!) in it this year. Not sure what I will attempt next Winter – perhaps some Escarole? My dream is to actually harvest something in January or February. It will come true one day if I keep trying.
The Violet Fern 