As the Greens of Winter Fade Away

The multi-hued greens of the winter garden fade with each passing May day. Most of the lettuces have been eaten or have bolted. I’m letting some of the kales make seeds, and the others continue to bolt as the weather warms up. Winter gardening is so easy for me if I remember to plant at the right time in August, and if I am around enough to keep the starts going in the heat of late summer, which I was able to do this last year.

In the fall, I thin, harvest, and transplant the little ones. With the greens, I usually harvest the outer leaves, and allow the plant to continue growing. Last month I made the mistake of putting out some basil and dill without shelter, and the cold nights killed them. Every year we get warm spells, and it is tempting to plant tomatoes and other warm-blooded plants. However, more likely than not, the temperature returns to freezing and blasts any tender, unprotected plants. At the moment, I’m sheltering some young plants under the umbrella of my almost 30-year-old rosemary plant. One task that I am not much looking forward to, that comes with the rains stopping, is getting my watering systems running again.