It's closing in on winter-for-real here in upstate New York. While the rest of the world falls into the clutches of the military industrial complex and all the money anyone associating with the war machine (think about whether this means you please) is going to make this new year, my hometown is expecting to be under a nice layer of snow. Ski slopes have just started opening, traces of Santa are disappearing back into the fantasy land they came from, and zombies are walking around wishing for world peace.
I digress! You're not here to hear my thoughts on the state of the world, you're here to hear my thoughts on the state of my garden!
Ten years ago, I would have said that I love winter, because I get to put my garden to bed under a beautiful blanket of snow, and, even though it still looks good, I can take off my gardening shackles for a few months, because there is nothing to do in my garden.
That was back when I wasn't trying to produce my own food, and the only thing I grew was perennial flowers.
I thought I was such a hot shot with my gorgeous flower garden. Why not give growing vegetables a shot? How hard could it be?
Five and a half years into my vegetable-producing years, my truly golden years, I've had my comeuppance. Growing vegetables is closer to raising human beings than it is to growing flowers. Tons of time! Gobs of caring! Year round work!
Here's a shot of my vegetable garden, taken just a few minutes ago, on January 1st, 2024. Happy New Year, y'all.
Here's the good news:
I still have quite a few edibles out there. Yesterday I harvested a nice bunch of parsley, enough arugula for a couple of salads, more kale than I can eat, and enough fresh herbs to last me the rest of January. I've been breaking into my winter stores of potatoes, onions, and canned goods. I hope to have lots of my home grown food to eat every single day until spring returns and I can begin anew, cultivating, caring, and giving.
Here's the bad news:
I see a LOT of work to be done! I see that I am already far behind on the work that needs doing in the spring, because I got so little of the work that needs doing in the fall done before the snow started to fall!
Like cleaning up the messes:
Turning 45 degrees to my right, I see a disgraceful mess of cannas and dahlias left to freeze to death. Rolls of chicken wire I don't have room for in the garage. I can't look. I don't want to talk about it.
There's groovy plans afoot as well, though. See that door on the side of the garage, a mere dozen steps to the closest raised bed? I've been busy rearranging my garage so that the closest car bay will be mostly storage of, and access to, my gardening supplies, and will also house a six-foot workbench for all sorts of cool goings on. Tasks in the garden should get much easier to attend to when I've gotten that all set up nicely, my she shed.
That's all folks! At least the winter's garden update posts can be short and sweet!
This is my entry to Hive Garden Community's first monthly garden challenge for 2024.
Please come join us, all ye faithful gardeners of the world!
images are all mine