BARK, BARK, BARK, BARK, BARK, BARK, BARK, BARK, BARK, BARK, BARK, BARK... Ugh. It's 2:34am Whinnie wanted out desperately so I let her, propped the back door and went back to bed now she's going crazy about something. I get up to call her back in, coming w/in 5 feet of the door the stench of skunk is overwhelming. Crap! I call her fearing the worst and give her a quick sniff test. she's fine. no massive clucking so the girls are fine too. Heading back to bed it hits me. my garden. I then lay in bed till 4am wide awake wondering if I should get the flashlight to check on my tomatoes, or what about the delicate baby lettuce just emerging? If it so much as took one cucumber there will be skunk traps all over my backyard!!!! you DO NOT mess w/the garden. 
Upon first light my tentative inspection begins. Everything still accounted for. The soft leaves of the baby winter greens mix sucking in the first rays of sun. Tomatoes glistening, holy cow that's a huge cucumber Ive missed! Take a quick handful of beans for dinner tonight. Time for a quick trim on the zucchini and pull out the radishes that never quite made it. The broccoli gave it a good try but time to yank that and plant a bit more overwintering Italian blend. Yes the obsession has gone to the next level.
Today is the final sowing of my winter garden, Im 4wks out from first frost and this is the 3rd sowing, hoping to get ANY fresh vegetables this winter. Ive scoured books, Ive ordered my seed on-line from the best companies, this will work. Overwintering v
arieties of lettuce, broccoli, carrots, kohlrabi, cauliflower, red and sweet onions, beets, fennel and spinach are all in. Finishing up are cucumbers, beans, tomatoes and zucchini w/butternut squash and brussel sprouts starting to bud and should be great for Thanksgiving!
Kiddo's love it too, they've never eatten so many veggies. We even blocked off their own garden for them and let them plant what ever! Ethan's peas were more productive than mine were, maybe a little neglect isnt so bad. Im tired of over-thinking things. I plant alot so bugs/rot/neglect can take their share. Just leave me enough for dinner. One less trip to the store w/3 kids is worth it.
Next years will be moved closer to the house,
not nestled between 2 giant trees and Ive got enough fencing for a 50 x 50 plot, a bit more ambitious than I think it actually will be, I think. Perusing the seed catalogs has left me drooling and pining for spring! But first things first, grow winter garden grow!!!
Today is the final sowing of my winter garden, Im 4wks out from first frost and this is the 3rd sowing, hoping to get ANY fresh vegetables this winter. Ive scoured books, Ive ordered my seed on-line from the best companies, this will work. Overwintering v
arieties of lettuce, broccoli, carrots, kohlrabi, cauliflower, red and sweet onions, beets, fennel and spinach are all in. Finishing up are cucumbers, beans, tomatoes and zucchini w/butternut squash and brussel sprouts starting to bud and should be great for Thanksgiving!Kiddo's love it too, they've never eatten so many veggies. We even blocked off their own garden for them and let them plant what ever! Ethan's peas were more productive than mine were, maybe a little neglect isnt so bad. Im tired of over-thinking things. I plant alot so bugs/rot/neglect can take their share. Just leave me enough for dinner. One less trip to the store w/3 kids is worth it.
Next years will be moved closer to the house,
not nestled between 2 giant trees and Ive got enough fencing for a 50 x 50 plot, a bit more ambitious than I think it actually will be, I think. Perusing the seed catalogs has left me drooling and pining for spring! But first things first, grow winter garden grow!!!
I just looked it up and if you plant 2 bushels of wheat per acre you can expect on a good year 100 bushels of wheat per acre at harvest... For corn depending on location one sees an average of 250 crates or 12,500 ears of sweet corn can be harvested per acre, and this came from 12 to 15 lbs of seed planted per acre... See I can be exciting too... dad
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