Green Things

With the white stuff from last week gone, the green stuff is starting to perk up again and get serious about growing. The peas I planted three weeks ago are still pretty dormant (only an few have attempted to sprout) and the favas and carrots haven't done a thing. But I guess with temps in the 20's and 30's for most of the first week and a half, it's no surprise.

But this broccoli raab is getting serious about sprouting, as is the leaf lettuce, buttercrunch lettuce and spinach. The garlic is on the rebound too. The forecast for the next few days is calling for sun and more warm temps, so the bare beds of soil should really begin looking more like vegetable gardens soon.

Inside the gold frame, things are even happier. As I tend to the plants in there, I get to wondering what the sprouts talked about for the three or four days they were snuggled in the cold frame under a couple of inches of snow. Enough light must have filtered through to keep photosynthesis happening.

After last year's bumper crop of chard, I'm not sure why I planted more this year. Perhaps it was because I really wanted to see the beautiful mixed colors of this Bright Lights variety.

Leaf lettuce is also good for cold framing. This short row will be ready for trimming for baby greens by next weekend. Without the cold frame, I was harvesting my first greens around Memorial Day. This year they'll be consumed before April is over.

Outside the cold frame, the species tulips and early daffodils really took a hit from being under the snow for so long. But I have some miniature narcissus that took it all in stride and began popping open yesterday.