Winter Garden

Although the summer appears to be nearly over and the seasons are changing - if they ever even gain a foothold might also be up for debate. However, according to the calendar, the months have moved on and we are now in early September. 

During these past few months my family and many others around the globe have followed the natural rhythms of the earth and dutifully dug into the soil, planted our seeds and grown our little gardens of herbs, vegetables and greens. 

It is always a joyous experiment to run in conjunction with Mother Nature - to see some tangible outcome from our labours mostly by way of fistfuls of fresh vegetables such as beans, peas, strawberries, carrots, herbs and copious amounts of salad leaves. 

Salad leaves, green beans, peas, spring onion, chard, beet leaf and herbs from the garden

Now for the most part many of us are used to winding down for the year as we put our gardens to bed and wait for another early spring season to begin the process all over again. But, you know, the garden represents a part of you - your shadow lands, creativity and all that energetically takes place at the back of your body.

You do not have to hibernate or close up the garden because the seasons have changed, the earth looks and feels different and new growth has slowed down. But there is still much to do, some growth will take place and a winter garden, is still a garden - with a different feel to it.

Today we spent the afternoon readying a few cold frames for some winter vegetables which will easily grow here in Ireland. Especially in West Cork with it's mild temperatures, a winter day, can be like summer in  the place where I grew up!

Right now there are quite a few vegetables that can be planted or left in the ground to continue on their merry way. Some of these are;

Winter lettuce

Winter Spinach

Turnip

Winter Carrots

Peas to come up in the spring

Broad beans

Shallots and garlic 

Onions

Kale

Chard

Beetroot (leave in ground)

Cabbage (leave in ground)

Some herbs will continue on during the winter months (parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme) but you need to raise them up a bit, to ensure they don't get water logged from the rain. Otherwise herbs will do poorly or will rot. There are suggestions of digging grit into the soil around each plant, potting into containers or a raised bed. Just bring them to higher ground away from the damp.

Then other herbs can be cut back and offered a little protection for the colder months - rosemary, lemon verbena, oregano, winter savory and so forth. While coriander is an annual plant and will die back, you will need to plant some extra ones to keep a steady supply but it will tolerate some cold outside. 

As you can see, there is no need whatsoever to stop now, keep the garden going and enjoy your fresh produce all year.

Have a healthy day,

April

Getting ready to make walnut parsley pesto 

Got To Eat Your Greens

One of the best things about summer eating is the abundance of fresh greens - they are in virtually every corner of the farmers markets (I love Skibbereen market) and usually picked fresh that morning. There is no excuse, especially not during these few summer months to not eat enough green vegetables.

Then, there is one other simple fact here - these are basically just weeds and will grow nearly anywhere, in anything. I have pots of them outside my door - rocket, mizuna, cress and stir-fry mixtures along with select herbs I would use frequently such as dill, coriander and basil. 

Rocket leaves

Mixed Salad Leaves in Pots

In my garden I have a cold frame (easily made from old windows) that is also growing a few other often needed kitchen goodies such as leeks, swiss chard, beet leaf, peas, and more stir-fry greens. Even in my herb garden (also protected) there are spring onions, Welsh onion, wild rocket, cress and chicory - all edibles for a quick stir-fry or salad. 

One of the large cold frames 

These greens and herbs will be more protected as the months change and we should get an extended growing season for the vegetables inside their little shelters. They are also easy to maintain being basically only a raised bed with a border around it, slugs have been minimal (we have plugged the gaps) and right now they do not need to be covered.

But, this is not all that I wanted to say about greens and fresh vegetables, oh I could go on! Because this is important, the one thing that my body always craved even when I wasn't really listening back in the days of my mis-spent youth and non-health, was something green, fresh and picked from the ground.

The amount of vitamins and minerals in these little leaves is astounding, we simply cannot go without them for long and expect to maintain even minimal levels of gut health and general maintenance function. Even the dogs and cat (and all other creatures I am sure) eat their greens and can be seen munching away on blades of grass and even my rocket. 

Today, take some steps (if you haven't already) to get seeds, and a pot or a patch of ground and get growing - in a very few days you will be eating your own little leaves that will repair, re-build and replenish your system while tasting great at the same time.

This is so easy to do, it is shocking that we are not all brilliantly healthy from eating mountains of green leaves and vegetables. If you get tired of salad or don't really like them cold, throw any green leaves in with other vegetables and do a little stir-fry a couple times a week. 

Mixed greens and purple cabbage stir-fry

Your body will thank you for all of the green energy!

April

More greens growing behind the cold frame