It’s always gardening season to me
The first warm season crops are sprouting, with a promise of sunny days to come. Fingers crossed here… .
Tomatoes and peppers are doing fine and looking robust, and staying snug in their little makeshift greenhouse.
Barely perceptible, the new little celeriac plants are starting to show green, while outside their big brothers are still covered in snow. Both are peeking out, the fledglings destined for the garden, and the elders bound for the roasting pan. I am continually in awe of the cycle of life on our farm. Seeds I planted next week, will still be feeding us next year!
Carrot hunting dog. I know where the carrots are, but someone usually “helps” me find the exact location where I finished off digging the last time!
Pay dirt, or digging for gold.
This week I will begin selecting what roots to plant for seed saving – if we get some agreeable weather.
These pictures were taken over the weekend, and the snow is gone for now, fingers crossed for that sunny weather!
Food Renegade
Simple, Green, Frugal Co-op
How do you plant roots for seed saving? What I too love about this time of year is seeing something new starting to grow each day, or seeing something that has come up getting a bit bigger. It is amazing to see the life starting.
Great photos – I love the little green shoots poking their heads up, reaching for the sunshine
I’m itching to start but it’s still way to cold here.
Are you digging carrots now? I can only imagine fresh vegetables this time of year!
I look forward to hearing what criteria you use for seed saving from root plants. I’m really hoping to be able to have more of a 4 season garden this coming year and being able to overwinter some things.
Those carrots look fabulous.
Color me impressed! I really like how confident you are!
My dog can also locate carrots for me. Actually, I’m glad I used raised beds so he can’t get them all! It is so funny to catch him delicately raising one up, settling down and turing it around in his paws until it is just right, then chowing down while on the lookout for someone who might say no.
Great pictures!
Good eating ahead for your family! Everything looks great. Does your celeriac form a very large bulbous bottom? While living in Germany, I enjoyed many green salads with boiled, grated celeriac . I wonder if it is the same kind you can grow in cooler climates of U.S.
I’ve been reading and totally baffled….how is it that your root crops haven’t completely turned mushy? Did you hill them over with straw or something before the frost hit?
mangochild, I love this time of year, after all the dreary days of winter. We went to town yesterday, and were surprised to see daffodils blooming – ours are just now starting to show buds. I will just plant the roots I select for seed saving and let them bolt. Post in the works.
Debi, yep we dig every week, or as needed. Della is the indicator here, when her root buckets get close to empty, I dig more.
It is finally good to see some green showing somewhere – I am more than ready for spring!
Judy, seed saving post coming soon – fingers crossed on your new garden spot!
ChristyACB – confidence comes from overplanting ALWAYS – and always planting enough variety in case of crop failure! And old age
My puppies are pretty good, they don’t help themselves too much…, but at least it is good for them. They catch a lot of voles, who are the bane of my root crops, so I figure it is worth it to pay the dogs in carrots!
Carol, the roots get fairly large, although they would get larger if I watered more, but I don’t really irrigate my garden so I deal with a smaller size than you see available in the store. But, they keep well, and the greens are hardier than celery, so I have both for cooking with one plant. They grow very slowly, but are well worth the effort.
ctdaffodil, I live in Cascadia, near the Pacific Ocean, our soil doesn’t freeze too deeply, and usually before it does freeze, we get snow which acts as an insulator. I do hill with soil though, just in case we don’t get that snow blanket. If you can overwinter greens, you can overwinter root crops too, without messing around with a root cellar, this way the crops are still alive until harvested, and a lot less work during the fall when I have plenty of things that do need harvesting and storing.
This is another great post. I just love learning from you.
By the way are you having trouble with wordpress, not allowing some people to post comments? I am. Sometimes I even get comments from people who are placed in my spam folder. Grrr. I have emailed them.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
Linda, thanks, the last couple of days, I’m getting lots of spam viagra ads that are in the comment section, but no actual real commenters in the spam section??? How weird is that?
You’re making me a tad jealous
it’s still a bit soon for me to jump the gun so to speak 
we tilled our teeny weeny garden spot today and TA DA!!… there still were carrots in there and they were still good.