Rain, Rain...Grow Away!!!

As soon as it started raining last week, my veggies took off. They have been getting plenty of winter sun, but this is my winter crop, they don't LOVE sun, the LOVE water. So as you can imagine, they are pretty content with the current cloud burst. Here is what the garden is looking like, 5 weeks after laying the seed, with the exception of the artichoke. It came up from last years failed transplant from my ex-neighbors yard that never survived, I guess the roots did!

Totally new to me, Artichokes!

Radishes

Spinach

Kohlrabi!!!!

Growing into Swiss Chard, I missed you last season!

Pea trellis'

Carrots growing between the peas

A whole new crop of Arugula! 

Spinach

Yummy lettuce

Elephant Garlic, started with one of last years bulbs

Red Onions 

Yukon Gold Potatoes

Germinating 5 varieties of heirloom of tomatoes from seed 

The Waiting Game

All the hard work is done. I prepped the beds with worm and chicken poo. Tilled last years mulch under. Cleared out all the old dead plants from last year and thew them into the new hot compost pile. And laid the seed for my winter crop. Planted about 15 different patches of vegetables altogether.

It's been awfully warm around these parts, we have not had a cold or wet winter at all. Although my water bill does not appreciate this, it also makes for rapid seed germination. It's the waiting game at this point.

Ready. Set. Grow.

Most of the seed packs I used for Winter, not including potatoes, onions, peas and beans

Swiss chard

Pea trellis

Pea sprouts

Baby Carrots

Kohlrabi

Stella Bell the Duck

Radish

New gardening station/germination sun table for this warm winter. Germinating tomatoes for March transplant. 

Artichoke

New compost hot pile this year: All food scraps but meat and dairy, Stella's straw soiled bedding and grass clippings

Photobomb.

Side bed, arugula seedlings at base

Back yard raised bed

5 Elephant garlic, used the ones I grew last year to propagate new ones for this season

Red Onions, 60 of 'em

Good 'ol Yukon Potatoes 

The first harvest - Week 8

Two nights ago, we had our first Arugula salad of the season. It was perfect, fresh, and full of spice! Oh man it has a kick, just what I love about it. Arugula is just like any other leaf green, you can harvest the large leaves on the outside, and leave the smaller, younger leaves in the center for your salad next week. If you grow enough, you should be able to eat it every day and just rotate the plants you pick from. Also, arugula is an excellent re-seeder as well, as long as it is well established.

Arugula on bottom, lettuce seedlings on top

First arugula salad of the season, many to follow

Beautiful, flavorful, spicy organic radishes for tacos!

As for the rest of the garden, it's coming right along. Here is a look at how much it grew this week after 2 weeks torrential rain, and followed by a week in the mid-80's. That's what a garden calls love.

Sugar Peas

Organic Brandywine and cluster heirloom tomatoes

Fennel

 I had to start the carrots over, the rain got the best of them. They basically flooded, and I think the seeds rotted in the ground, well all but these 2 little guys. I laid some more seed down a week or so ago so the crop should start popping up soon with all this sun, but for now, this is all I've got.

Carrot survivors

Elephant Garlic getting big

Potatoes

Full view with duck barrier up

Romaine Lettuce