If you know where to look, there are signs of spring. Only the most hardy plants dare to start regrowing this early in the season. This upcoming week is forecast to have mild temperatures. We are finding more violas, both inside the greenhouse and outside, since our day length has increased to 10 hours and 47 minutes from our December low.
Parsnip Crop
This is the end of the parsnip crop. We are pleased with how well they did this year, as they can be fussy about germinating. As soon as we get the seed, we refrigerate it as seed quality deteriorates quickly if left in our storage. Our goal is to have more available next fall.
Greenhouse Crops
This past week, we seeded the first few crops in the greenhouse. Now, we anxiously wait for them to germinate. Outside, we planted wood sorrel roots this week. Again, we are anxiously watching the soil to see that they have survived and are growing.
Celeriac
We’ve been harvesting celeriac regularly. What seemed like an endless supply is coming to an end. We have one more harvest left in the ground. We will fill a red tub next week with the last crop. Interestingly enough, we seeded celeriac just this week, which we will harvest a year from now if the weather is favorable! It’s a good crop for winter if one is keen on eating seasonally.
Herbs
We have some parsley, which survived the freezing temps. The leaves are smaller now, but if you are in a pinch and need a bunch to make stock, we can help. So far, the only other herb available now is rosemary. We are seeing the first leaves starting on mint. Thyme, sage, oregano, and tarragon are still dormant.
Honey Bees
We are cautiously optimistic about the honey bees. So far, all colonies are alive and getting out when the days are warm enough. In this photo, you can see the bee on the right with red pollen on her legs, and the bee in the middle has light-colored pollen on her legs. A diverse diet is necessary for healthy honey bee colonies.
See you in the Garden.
-Anna
