Winter Garden: A New Year Begins

Happy New Year everybody!  Hope your holidays were grand - filled with all that you wanted them to be.  I'm optimistic that the year ahead will be a good one - filled with new learning, new experiences, new accomplishments.  I'm confident that any of the less than happy events that life throws our way will be handled with as much grace and aplomb as humanly possible.

I'd like to celebrate the four - make that five - radishes that made it through the digging assault of the millions of squirrels who make it their life's mission to dig up every inch of our backyard.  (We have more squirrels than most as they all live in a big oak tree next door.) I planted these radishes from seeds in a wine barrel earlier this year - and despite the barrel's wire covering - the squirrels did a little digging and planting of their own - creating big holes and tossing defenseless seeds left and right out of their neat half inch rows.  I tried to rescue seeds by smoothing out the soil - but many ended up to deep in and never sprouted.  These are the few radishes that made it through the life cycle process.  As I've said before in this blog - gardening is a learning experience.  With that in mind - I reseeded the barrel at the start of the year - this time making sure to put additional bird netting over the larger wire covering to prevent little squirrel feet from slipping through. I'm happy to report that so far - its working!

Our broccoli plants bolted (again) this season.  This is my third attempt with broccoli and I'm thinking it will be my last.  Unless I choose to plant some for the bees.  They love those flowers, and I love having the bees - pollinating away in our garden.  So in the end - it's still a win.  No?

I'm also learning that the side garden we use for vegetables - that's so right for tomatoes in the summer - is turning out to be not so good for the winter garden.  With the sun at a different angle - it's just not getting enough light to help plants grow.  We planted brussel sprouts there this year - and they haven't done well at all.  If it's not the aphids (which I've taken to blasting with a hose to remove), it's the slugs (don't want to use any "poison" on them) and between those two pests and a wet December with little to no sun - the plants haven't grown at all.  I moved one plant over to where our swiss chard is thriving, with the hope that at least one plant will flourish.  I also finally replanted kale plants that I'd grown from seeds into our back plot too. 

Here's Charlie inspecting a bucket we use when deadheading.  The cats (we have three of them now that Willie is gone) are primarily indoor cats - but when we are outside - they get to go out for "supervised" visits. 

The New Year brought with it a stretch of sunny crisp cold days - a glorious break after a December full of steady rain soaked ones.  I was finally able to get around to planting our spring bulb pots.  (Tulips, Freesias, and Daffodils).  As I filled the pots will soil and nestled the bulbs therein - my excitement for the year ahead grew.  Holding each bulb - I felt the promise of warmer days, spring flowers, and the sweet scent of spring blossoms ahead. All adding to the delicious excited feelings I have for the New Year, the seasons, and our life.  It's going to be a great year folks!

Hope your New Year if off to a yummy start!