Waiting...

Good cooking begins with fresh ingredients, preferably organic (much more than just a marketable label), which is one of the reasons we decided to put up a garden in our new home. I feel like I know more about gardening than I actually do -- I read several books, did a ton of online research, visited other people's gardens and solicited advice -- but I'm preparing for a humbling first run.

We've grown in containers (mostly tomatoes, eggplant, herbs), but this year's winter garden is intended to replace the CSA farm share once we start harvesting in late fall and throughout the winter. We currently get fresh eggs from our CSA, but will begin getting even fresher eggs from our four hens sometime in October.

In addition to the three 7'x4' raised beds you see pictured, I also built a smaller 4'x5' for my daughter Simone. Her shelling peas are now in the ground and doing quite well, to be joined soon by red and golden beets, two kinds of carrots and a winter squash named "fairy" squash (she loves the name) that's similar to butternut but smaller. I'm trying to figure out some better ways to get Simone involved in her garden (she's only 2 and 1/2 years old), and so far she's been watering her peas and checking the progress of her other seedlings (still in flats).

So here's the rundown on what we're growing this winter (we're Zone 8, some frost but mostly mild):

(1) Beet: Early Wonder, Golden
(2) Broccoli: Belstar
(3) Brussels Sprouts: Roodnerf
(4) Carrot: Purple Haze (yes, they're purple), Nelson
(5) Kale: Winter Red
(6) Lettuce: Provencal Winter Mix (high-protein loose leaf variety), Romulus (a Romaine type)
(7) Parsnip: Javelin
(8) Pea: Dakota (shelling), Oregon Sugar Pod
(9) Spinach: Olympia, Tyee
(10) Squash: Fairy, Butternut

Besides Simone's garden, I've started the broccoli, brussels sprouts and butternut squash (I have way too many seedlings of all three) in flats. I'll give updates throughout the growing season, and of course you'll begin to see these veggies show up on the dinner table before too long!

Adios.

-s