“Winter” grinds on

With Groundhog Day looming, I note that “Winter” has been on the calendar as usual but it has failed to show during most weeks. I’ll note also that this post probably invites the coldest February in history; weather has a way of humbling the cocky….

Anyway, as the days of winter have passed some things have grown and some progress towards spring plantings has been made:

The Raspberry trellis is up, although it may be a season or two before it is needed. Yes, there are raspberry plants in the raised bed currently covered with patches of winter wheat sprouting from the straw mulch:

“Allium lane”, front to back Elephant garlic, spinach, garlic (to be my spring green garlic patch), elephant garlic, leeks:

Shallots getting ready for a spring burst of growth:

All the luffas are dried and ready to be de-seeded, husked and soaked in a bleach solution; buckets of pecans remain to be shelled as well.

The hoophouse has been weeded and replanted with lettuce while kale, cabbage, spinach, spicy greens, chard and some very tired broccoli continue to grow:

The Ajo Rojo garlic in the hoophouse has much more top growth than the bed outside (a single elephant garlic plant is in this bed as well):

The cloudy days have received some assistance bringing up lettuce, kale, cabbage and bok choy seedlings in the “warmth” over two of the water drums The micro-climate over the drums seems to be just right for these hardy seedlings:

Outside the hoophouse the volunteer cilantro has shrugged off the wimpy winter and is thriving:

The old Camellia provides enough blooms to attract a bee or two on warm days (and a camera on this day:)