Seedy Saturday - Harvesting Never Stops!

 We have had a weird week!

Monday and Tuesday we were hit by an arctic blast. Winds were 30 mph (and higher) and there was even a brief snow flurry.

Then of course, the rest of the week was pretty much back to normal temperatures for this time of the year here in North Carolina. I am in an odd area in that I am near the border with South Carolina, so very definitely 8a. However, I am also near the foothills of the mountains. Weather can get a bit wonky at times.

There are a lot of chores which need to be done over the next couple of months. I will be actually planning things in the garden like a small patch of winter wheat and some broad beans. Some winter pruning and tidying up the whole garden area. I want to actually pretty much cover the entire back yard in black plastic to kill weeds in the veggie area. 

However, one task I am really enjoying is harvesting the stigma from my saffron crocus! 

Plus, my elephant garlic is really coming along. I know growth will slow down as winter comes along, but for now it is really putting on some stocky leaves. And the hardneck garlic is also coming along. Potatoes are also coming along well. 

I want to work slowly, but steady, on the garden in setting it up for early spring planting. I need to define my rows better. I want to remove most of the grass/weeds in the back yard. I'll throw the turf into the compost heap to let it do its thing over the next year. And doing what I want to do while it is cool/cold is better than doing it during the summer. I can bundle up, but striping down in the garden is not good for the neighbors. 

Plus I need to organize all my seeds and figure out what I am starting when. I also need to figure out what I need to plant for a couple of programs next year I am leading. 

Gardening doesn't close down for winter!