Brrrr...is it bald in here or is it just me?

Now that I'm planting, I will be back to my once a week Sunday/Monday postings again. Yayyyy!!

The weather here has gotten down right normal. 85 during the day, the 50's at night.

I had to actually put on my jammies and add a blanket to the bed! Oh the humanity!!

I know you folks north of the Mason-Dixon are rolling your eyes.  Fine, roll your eyes at my cold weather wimpiness! I dare you to enjoy the sun scorching temps of Texas in August! (Puffing up my own sense of self importance!)

But then again the high temp today in my old hometown was...gulp, 56 degrees and raining! Ugh. (shudders) Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh how I don't miss that.

So probably the last thing you are thinking about is gardening. In a few weeks you will be at pains to just put a shovel in the ground without breaking the handle.

So what to do?

Basically, only 3 things go on during those tundra like months: sex, drinking and...muuuuuuuurder...moooooohoooohahahahaha!!! Oh and lots of card games!.

But If you still want fresh greens, during the dark daylight starved days of January of February, what do you do?


I can just imagine a conversation going something like this:

Husband: I need something, but I can't put my finger on it.

Wife: Sex?

Husband: What?!! No!

Wife: (sad) oh, then what is it?

Husband: (big grin on his face) I know! I need a Salad!! (jumps from chair and sprints out the door)

Wife: Wait! Wait! I can pour some thousand island dressing on myself!!!


Uh, right, I was saying? Oh yeah, Cold Frame Gardening! Wait, no I wasn't...But I am now! (nice segue, huh?)

If you have the will and the determination, you folks in the land of snow who want to still garden through the winter, can!

It's called Cold Frame Gardening. 

Think of it like mini-green houses. Very mini. 

Here's a pic and a link...

http://www.dannylipford.com/how-to-make-a-cold-frame-to-grow-vegetables-or-flowers/

This is probably the best site with the simplest to follow information regarding cold frames gardening that I have found.

What cold frames do is keep the veggies anywhere from 5-10 degrees warmer than the outside temps. Sometimes that's all you need to keep things from croaking. (with a little bit more work, you could squeeze out a few more degrees).

Search the net under "cold frame gardening" and you will see all sorts of creative ways people have built their own cold frames. Some folks use old double hung windows.

It's a commitment, but you will have lettuce and all sorts of other veggies throughout the winter. And remember the larger and taller the plant, the larger and taller the cold frame has to be to accommodate it.

Snow and bone chilling temps with iron hard ground is not for the faint of heart.

I admit readily, that I have it easy. I suffer maybe a handful of freezes throughout the winter. So a quick sprint with some shrouds is all that I need to keep things covered and alive. No, I'm not rubbing it in...much.

Give it a shot. My advice; start small.

Mean while, out in the garden, a few updates...

The Beets goes on...



Lettuce chat...



And the Mystery dance...



I'm thinking squash, but still not sure.

And lastly, here are the pics of the Morning Glory's from my backyard fence.



I'm ready for my close up, Mr. DeMille...



That's it for this week.

Next week: Okra, it's not slimy anymore!

And as always,

Green is Good, especially, when it gets a bit cooler outside. :)

Cheers!