Winter Gardening

[TheGoodLifeGirl]

I've always loved fresh vegetables and plants from the garden, something I remember fondly at my grandparent's house. But reaching into adulthood, work, and other niggles of life have gotten in the way of my love for self sufficiency until I became a mother and was staying at home much more than before. I've found it's reignited my passion for plants, what I eat, and what my son should know about where his food comes from. No, food does not grow at the store!!

BUT! Being that I have only recently got back into growing everything ourselves and the fact that it's been awhile since I've helped plant tomatoes etc. with my grandfather. I do not remember what we grew/planted in the winter!?

We live in Scotland, UK so we're privy to some harsh winds and cold, even snow (yet we've had none this year!?) so it leave's only the hardy of plant's to flourish during this time.
What do some of you have/do/plant in your garden during the winter in these kind of climates?

- Holly
TheGoodLifeGirl xx

 

[lazy gardener]

Hi Holly. I'm in NE USA, current temp is minus 8.7 F which is roughly minus 20 C... so I can only dream what it must be like to be able to plant in the winter! Enjoy this stage of your life with youngsters at home. Some of the crops that you might try: Kale, spinach, swiss chard, lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, onions. Perhaps carrots, beets. If you can put some sort of frame over your growing beds, and cover that with plastic, that will trap a lot of heat and speed up the growth of your crops.

Holly, too!

 

[TheGoodLifeGirl]

Hello Holly

Surprisingly it is not as cold here in Scotland as it is where you are. We are having a warmer winter this year than last. Been out in the Garden with my son and our new chicken arrivals today in the rain. The chickens were all out taking baths, always makes me laugh that they love getting wet even when they have a nice warm coop to hide in and plenty of tree's. But saying that out, I had a nice warm house to hide in but I was out also. Our boy is 1 and a half years old, so he loves being out in the garden with the chickens. They are so good with him. Especially Margo our Red Sex Link hen. She usually follows him around the garden as if he's her mother hen. Not so much since we got the new three as they've started picking on her (as they do when you introduce new flock) couldn't find her today, thought she'd run away because of all the bullying, but when I went to put everyone to bed, there she was in the coop (even though I'd checked earlier and she wasn't there). Still don't know where she was hiding?

Found that all the new hens have eaten the leaves off my Rose plant

which is nice, Margo and her sister Barb never used to do that except for the rose petals, which I used to pick for them and scatter along the coop. Was going to build some raised beds soon (which also help to stop the hens from eating all the plants) so I might start with what you've suggested as they seem to be the most popular for planting in winter.

Holls x

 

[newfoundland]

You could also grow parsnips sprouts and turnips. They are all pretty hardy.