Watering40's Blog: February, 2012, Extended 2011 Fall and Overwintered/Spring Garden!

We have had the mildest winter I can remember since returning to the Pacific NW about ten years ago. The good? Nothing died, really. The bad? Lots of stuff grew little heads or small leaves and then bolted. Darn it!

Soooooo, I kept telling myself not to do it, but I broke down and ran to the local Fred's and bought myself too many starts...with the exception of the garlic and onions--the squirrels pretty much dug up ALL my garlic in the fall (I think I counted only about four shoots coming up--I planted around 60). So, 6 nice-sized transplants is welcomed. In addition, I just don't know what I'm doing wrong with the onions the past few years, so yet again, I bought myself a back-up 6-pack.

Here's how everything looks today:

I just put the plastic back on the little hoops last weekend, February 19, 2012. I pulled tons of bolting stuff out and planted my transplants (see below). And look at that broccoli! It grew ALL winter--that's how mild it's been here. Several of my broccoli plants intended for fall just didn't quite grow but then took off around January. Incredibly weird if you ask me....

Teeny cauliflower!

Teeny broccoli!

Overwintered beets, kale, swiss chard and radishes. They're looking fantastic!!

The newly planted bed on Feb 19th--I left the Georgia Collards (they've been growing since mid-summer, 2011), overwintered celery, some of the kale and swiss chard, some broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. Then, I planted transplants of pak choi, lacinto kale and cauliflower. In a bucket, I planted the 6 garlic. In the blue potato bin I placed a bunch of my fall-grown potatoes!! This made me so happy!!