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You are here: Home / My garden / Spring gardening kick-off

Spring gardening kick-off

February 15, 2010 by Andrea Bellamy 20 Comments

community garden plot feb. 2010

My community garden plot. Broccoli, garlic, cabbage, leeks, kale, and a heavy rye/clover cover crop make for a lush-looking garden — even in February.

While much of North America is having an unusually harsh winter, here in Vancouver, it’s downright balmy — much to the chagrin of the organizers of the Olympic Winter Games!

The mild winter has left me with beds full of overwintered veggies. Things that, in winters past, have always succumbed to below-freezing temperatures. But even half-hardy edibles are happily chugging along, oblivious to the fact that it’s February.

I planted peas this weekend in one of the raised beds on my top deck veggie patch: Super Sugar Snap (with seeds saved from my garden) in the back against the trellis and short-statured Sugar Ann (a new purchase) in front.

In the community garden, I turned under the rye/clover cover crop I planted in fall, in preparation for the planting I’ll be doing in March.

I think the coolest thing about having such a mild winter has been that I’ve actually been eating from the garden all winter. I always plant a winter garden, but–confession time–often, miserable weather prevents me from actually getting into the garden to harvest my crops. Not this year. Scallions, chard, Asian greens, kale, broccoli, carrots, lettuce, beets…all have graced my plate this winter. And all from my garden. Truly, it’s a great feeling.

How is your garden shaping up this February?

Related posts:

A ladybug enjoys a field of cloverCover me: the low-down on green manures Default ThumbnailPreparing for winter Default ThumbnailGardening events February 20 – 24, 2008 Default ThumbnailMaking the most of the growing season

Filed Under: My garden, Veggies & Edibles

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Matti says

    February 16, 2010 at 4:21 am

    We had one crop of a variety of lettuce, dill, and basel out of our cold box last winter. However we tore down the cold box (long story) due to poor design from previous tenants. I have a new box that I need to set up. Your photos are inspiring. Thanks for the push I need to get things going.
    — Matti

  2. Megan says

    February 16, 2010 at 8:10 am

    Dang! Your veggies are looking really happy :)

  3. Tzipporah says

    February 16, 2010 at 10:58 am

    here in the Willamette Valley, I’m getting ready to plant 4 varieties of snap peas and some early carrots and lettuce. The only things that really got harvested all winter were the herbs (rosemary, thyme, winter savory mainly) but our chives are back in full force and the onions and leeks look like they’re getting really big – hooray!

  4. Dirty Girl Gardening says

    February 16, 2010 at 1:57 pm

    Damn those look great!

  5. Jane Reitsma says

    February 16, 2010 at 2:23 pm

    Very inspiring Andrea. Now if I can just get my seed wishlist down to something somewhat reasonable… then I can finally get moving on things!

  6. Eliza says

    February 16, 2010 at 2:39 pm

    Maybe your colder winter traded places with where I live… we are having a longer cold spell than usual. I normally have spring growth by now but even my veggies under polytunnels are hunkered down and grouchy.

    I love looking at your beds, it makes me excited!

  7. Gwen says

    February 16, 2010 at 2:52 pm

    Oooo, such a beautiful February garden! Mine, here in northern Virginia, is covered in record snowfall. At least I have seed catalogs to look at!

  8. Andrea Bellamy says

    February 16, 2010 at 3:50 pm

    Thanks for your comments, all! Glad I could help inspire you. :)

  9. Willi says

    February 16, 2010 at 3:55 pm

    Hey, I’m planting ‘Sugar Ann’ this year too. It is supposed to be fabulous. My garden is a bit bare right now due to my sneaky chickens, but I’m planning on building about 5 more beds in the next couple of weeks, so it shouldn’t stay that way for long.

  10. Adriana @ Anarchy in the Garden says

    February 16, 2010 at 4:00 pm

    Sounds like you’re experiencing Long Beach, CA weather! Your raised beds look gorgeous. Pat yourself on the back GF!

  11. Christine B. says

    February 16, 2010 at 10:39 pm

    My garden is still just a thought…at this moment buried under two feet of snow. Yours, however looks lovely!

    Christine in Alaska

  12. Jackie Connelly says

    February 18, 2010 at 10:05 am

    Wow, that’s so great what you were able to harvest over the winter! I’ve definitely been thinking about my little 5×9′ plot, and when to start. I stuck to very easy things last year (carrots, beans, tomatoes, zucchini) so looking forward to increasing the level of difficulty this year! We only built them all as a group last Spring, and we got started a bit late (end of April). Is mid March the ideal time to start planting, even though it’s so warm right now?

  13. Helen says

    February 18, 2010 at 11:34 am

    Wow, your veggies look wonderful. It may inspire me to try to grow more veggies this year. I usually stick to floral stuff. We have been so lucky with our mild winter this year. Especially after 2008’s nasty spell of snow and freezing temps killed off more than a few of my perennials.

  14. Hartley Carter says

    February 21, 2010 at 10:24 pm

    That bed looks lovely!

    We are just gearing up to plant our very first vegetable garden – so excited about that. There are cover crops (clover) to turn under, then we’re ready to plant!

  15. tifanie says

    February 22, 2010 at 8:34 am

    that’s stunning. how exciting. i really need to plant a cover crop as well, but i have so many exotic seeds that want to be planted, i just keep popping them in the soil whenever a tiny patch opens up. maybe i’ll get one going after the next round ripens. anyway, this looks lovely. thanks for sharing. weird about the weather up there! nice for gardening, though. :::

  16. kirsten says

    February 25, 2010 at 8:07 am

    Here in Edmonton we’re still under snow…but the sunshine we’re supposed to get today will probably melt a little of it away and I’ll be a little closer to planting :-)
    Love your cover crop – do you typically plant one every season?

  17. Dee @ Red Dirt Ramblings says

    March 1, 2010 at 11:09 am

    Got most of my cold crops in (o.k. about half), and Mary Ann, Carol and I started up our letters to each other and other gardening friends again. Hoping for a continuous and early spring. A girl can hope can’t she?

  18. kate says

    March 2, 2010 at 9:39 pm

    Your raised beds look wonderful, especially to my outdoor green-deprived eyes. I’m totally envious that you can garden all year long. Snow is still thick on the ground here … but soon, soon. Hope all’s well with you!

  19. Serge Lescouarnec says

    March 9, 2010 at 11:22 am

    Andrea
    Mentioned your site and suggestions on composting in my Green Day piece today on ‘Serge the Concierge’
    Here is the link
    http://www.sergetheconcierge.com/2010/03/warning-peat-moss-pollutesgardening-with-peat-moss-free-compost.html
    Took the liberty to use your veggie bed picture as an illustration.
    Have a good day
    Serge

  20. morgen says

    March 9, 2010 at 4:31 pm

    Its great to see that your back. I am taking plenty of pictures this year of various gardens. I will also be trying to add more information regarding gardening to my blog. It may be worth checking out!!

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