first look at the garden for 2012

 the weather has been very warm and mild for winter.  we have had the chance to garden all winter since the temperatures have been warmer than usual.  the plants have survived and we have had plenty of chard, spinach, lettuce, kohlrabi, broccoli, bok choy, pac choy, carrots and collards.  hoops on the beds have allowed us to plant several rounds and the seeds have germinated and thrived.

winter is the season for hellebores

 both of these hellebores came from the garden of a fellow dcmg member who was thinning her beds.  this is the first year that they have bloomed and we finally got to see what color they were.

 from left to right; bunching collards, red cabbage and cauliflower

 broccoli will continue to produce small florets if you let it.  they are tender and sweet and we have been eating them all winter.  the greens are good too-you can cook them like collards.

 kohlrabi, another great veggie-the greens can also be cooked so if you plant enough, you can harvest some of the greens as the roots grow and you will have a nice, steady supply of vegetables.

 spinach in the front and red and green chard in the back.  harvest the larger leaves and leave the smaller ones to mature and again, you have a seemingly endless supply of greens!

 our vegetable garden consists of 4 (4x8) raised beds and one that is about 6x7 for the strawberries and the asparagus is in an area that is 2x10.

 an encouraging sign of spring-peach blossoms

over next to the herb garden where the flamingos are working hard, is the last of our raised beds.  in this 4x8 hooped bed, we have planted peas and kale and are now hoping that they germinate!