Tend Your Garden - Winter Gardening Post #7

Planning Our Winter Garden
Photo by: Chandra Brown

A winter garden, those two words almost sounds like an oxymoron especially when you grew up in Colorado, attempting a winter garden wasn't even a thought. You let the snow blow and just waited for the first signs of life in Spring. Living in a warm climate like Texas has opened up a whole new world of gardening possibilities for me and lends meaning to terms such as winter gardening.

For some odd reason a winter garden makes me think of setting down roots. Maybe this correlation is due to the fact our family transplanted from Colorado ten years ago to a new environment. I think of how our family cultivated a new life on our own away from anything we knew. We were like individual plants transferred from cool hardy zone 6 to a warm hardy zone 8. Adaptability was key to survival and thriving in this new environment.

Laying Out The Greens

Just A Spritz of Water

I must admit, my husband and daughter have transplanted better than I have. I like to say I have far extending roots that stem from Austin to Denver. This winter garden concept has made me realize the unique aspects of the place I live in and if I take the time to dig in and learn about them my Austin roots may just grow a little stronger and help solidify me in the present state of being.

So in honor of our family roots and our new found enthusiasm for winter gardens, Alex and I took advantage of a rare 81 degree day (ha, not very cold) and planted our first winter garden. We learned leafy greens although delicate and soft to the touch are perfect for cool weather. They have a tendency to uptake more nutrients during the cooler months which cause them to flourish in the taste category. They can also yield quit a bit of produce even after the first harvest.

This information caused much delight, our family goes through large plastic tubs of spinach and kale. If I can successfully grow my own this will help cut back our quota of plastic in the recycle bin, add dollars saved at the check out line and last but not least, I can revel in the convenience of fresh, organic pickings literally a hop, step or jump away.

Winter Garden Produce

• Winterbor Kale
• Romaine Lettuce
• Bonnie Spinach
• Carrots
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Beets
• Onions
• Leeks
• Legumes

"Nature has undoubtedly mastered the art of winter gardening and even the most experienced gardener can learn from the unrestrained beauty around them." -Vincent A. Simeone

UPDATE: A couple of weeks have passed, and some darn bug has eaten all my spinach. Good in that the bugs want it because it's organic. Bad, because I can't tell what kind of bug it is to treat the area. There are a lot of different bugs that LOVE spinach. I've got my homework cut out for me.