Welcome to the first update of 2016. It will be a short one, but I can say that I have accomplished one goal and started on a second one already. (If you missed it, here are my 2016 goals.) While out in the garden yesterday afternoon to gather soil samples (and do some weeding), I also took a few pictures to share with you. This week’s garden photos!
I took this week off to work in the garden, but I didn’t realize how much time it was going to take. Other than taking time off for the Sabbath and Passover, I have worked 8 to 10 hour days in the garden; and I still have yet to start spring planting! (That begins today, though.) However, my garden beds look beautiful and ready to plant now that I’ve harvested the last of my winter crops, weeded in and around the beds (filling TEN four-feet-tall lawn & leaf bags!), supplemented my soil with Azomite (rock dust) and compost, and top dressed the cypress mulch around my beds. (I’ll share pictures in my next Sanctuary Gardener Update post.) It’s been a lot of work, but I have everything ready for seed and seedlings, and a refrigerator full of root veggies and greens. The last of my winter crops!
This was surely a week of extremes here in the Charleston, SC, area….again. I was quite concerned yesterday that I would wake to a late frost, but thankfully, the temperature dropped only to 35 degrees. Whew! I have a lot of new growth on my raspberries, elderberries, herbs, and even my grape vines. Plus, I’m beginning to harvest my asparagus. A frost would not have been good for the tender leaves. Fortunately, all is well in my Sanctuary Garden. Come take a look. This week’s garden photos!
Well, it’s finally March. Only three more weeks til spring – at least, on the calendar, right? I know the Northeast is still buried under snow, Virginia just received almost a foot of snow, the midwest is always under snow, and the South is still having below-freezing nights. I’m sure all of you are anticipating spring as much as I am…maybe more so! That said, the weather this week has been chilly, raw, and rainy. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate with my days off (from work), so I don’t have as many photos to share with you this week. Hope you enjoy the few I do have though. This week’s garden photos!
Yesterday, we had a beautifully warm, sunny day here. It reached 67 degrees! A perfect day to plant some Tom Thumb peas along my front walkway (in the spaces where I’ve harvested lettuce). I also harvested some salad goodies and planted 288 seeds in flats for my grow room. Unfortunately, the warm weather will be very short-lived. A cold front is passing through today, and tonight’s low is supposed to be 28 (yeah, rain! Boo, frost!). But alas, such is winter in the Lowcountry. At least I can still garden! This week’s garden photos!
Good morning, everyone. To all my New England family and friends, stay warm and cozy tonight and tomorrow – and be safe in that Nor’easter blizzard heading your way. I miss winter snows, but I don’t miss blizzards! Weather reports like that make me a little less homesick and a little more grateful that I am able to grow and harvest some things in January. I’m happy to share a little bit of our warmer clime with you today. This week’s garden photos!
This past week, Charleston got a little taste of the winter the rest of the country usually gets. Of course, our temperatures weren’t near as low as many of you had to deal with. But the night of January 7, we got down to 18 degrees. In fact, we spent close to 48 hours below freezing! Needless to say, my hoop tunnels and key lime trees stayed covered for 4 days. The day time highs weren’t sufficient to uncover them and then have to recover them for the freezing temperatures at night. A couple days ago, the post-freeze garden inspection began. This week’s garden photos!
Happy new year, everyone! Welcome to my first update of 2015. It’s a new year, a new opportunity to expand our horizons, and a new chance to grow more and harvest more. This past week, I looked at seed catalogs, weeded, harvested, and planted peas and spinach and lettuce. The weather has been rather warm, but a cold winter blast is on its way. Next Wednesday night will go down to 20 degrees. Big difference from yesterday’s high of 74. Ah, the joys of living on the coast of South Carolina. Regardless, it IS nice to still be gardening in the winter. This week’s garden photos!
Welcome to the final installment of my four-part series, Sanctuary Gardener’s Favorites. I’ve already shared my favorite nightshades, legumes, and cucurbits. (If you missed any of them, see the links at the end of this post.) Today, I will share with you my favorite root vegetables and greens. Roots & Greens!
We had another frost this past week, so it was time to admit that the summer garden is done. I spent the entire weekend pulling all my summer plants (other than my pumpkin vines) and harvesting anything left on the plants, including unripe chili peppers and tomatoes, which can still be eaten. I also made a trip to the fairgrounds to pick up my canned goods and ribbons and got a nice surprise when I got there. This week’s garden photos!
Sanctuary Gardener 