The weather has just been perfect for the past week so I’ve been a busy bee getting my summer vegetable garden cleaned up and planting the fall/winter vegetables.
I had such wonderful success using row covers on one bed last fall & winter that I decided it would be worth the investment to buy a few more to use this year.
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Row covers are specially designed to allow sunlight and rain to filter through. I bought some from Gardeners.com and they protect plants down to 27 degree F. They also sell garden quilts that protect to 24 degrees F. If we get an especially cold winter I may also throw some plastic over my hoop houses at night and see how that works.
My husband made the hoop structure from pvc piping and rebar. The rebar goes in the ground and the pvc piping gets put on top of the rebar to form the hoop shape. Then the row covers are added on top and clamped onto the piping. I also weight the sides down with bricks/rocks.
This bed has some veggies that are still going strong from summer and some brussel sprouts and spinach that I just planted.
The peppers and eggplant probably have a few more weeks to go before I have to pull them. Then I’ll plant more brussel sprouts and maybe some bok choy if I can find it.
I still have lots of zinnias left and lots of bees and butterflys too.
The seating area my daughter and I built last year in the vegetable garden. I love this little area! Right across is the cutting garden raised bed and I love watching the birds, bees and butterflys in action.
The blueberry hut which protects our blueberries from birds. We have a couple of bushes on the outside of the vegetable garden and they are welcome to those berries – but not these!
Along this fence inside the veggie garden I have 1 of 2 grapevines, Nanking Cherry bushes, flowers and blackberries that are creeping in from the other side of the fence.
I still have tomatoes that are producing. I have to wait for these to be done and then I’ll plant this bed with leeks, swiss chard, beets and more lettuce.
This kale is from last year! I planted it last fall and we’ve been eating kale all summer. I cut some of it down to see what would happen and it looks like it’s sprouting new leaves. I didn’t know it would last so long as I’d never grown it before. I also planted some more kale in this bed and some radish and lettuce mix. There’s an artichoke in there that I never got anything from this year. Artichokes are perennial and produce after the second year so we’ll see!
This bed has bush beans and broccoli in it. On the other side are cherry tomatoes climbing the arbor.
This bed has red cabbage and collards.
This fall/winter I’m growing the following vegetables:
kale, swiss chard, garlic, lettuce mix, radishes, leeks, broccoli, beans, red cabbage, collards, brussel sprouts, beets, spinach and maybe celery if I can find space for it. I don’t think I have room for much more unless we build some more raised beds (which we have room for).
I’m excited to see how I do this winter! It would be amazing to be able to have a bunch of fresh organic vegetables from the garden…during winter!!
I’m working on a little garden area makeover for the rest of the week! I hope you all are having lovely weather as well.
You do a large and successful garden. The area to protect the blue berries is a good idea. Had a plum tree where I lived before and it was hard to get the ripe ones picked before the birds and squirrels
got to them
Lovely. I can’t wait to be at our country house to set that garden up. Here in the city (SEast), is waaay too much shade … but I planted peas, beans, carrots, onions & leeks regardless. Will be putting in broccoli, cauiflower, etc. soon.
How wonderful it is! You have inspired me to get started on mine and stop putting it off. I have so much work to do though. Love all your veggies and fruits.
That’s quite a big garden. How many of those beds do you have? I love that seating area you have, and at first I thought the area for your blueberries was a chicken run! That’s a lot of work to keep such a lovely garden!
Thank you! I often think that blueberry hut would make a nice chicken coop with a bit of tweaking.
I have 9 raised beds of different widths and lengths. It’s not really a lot of work once you get it established.
What a beautiful garden you have! I love to see people’s veggie gardens, and see how they arrange things. Your blueberry hut is a good idea. We used mesh to keep the birds away, but we didn’t get any berries anyway, with the drought. Hope your fall veggies do well!
Way to go! I have a bit of kale from last year (but it is pretty mangy looking from our extreme heat — maybe it will perk up some — we are back in the 90’s this week!). Very inspiring — I foresee a trip to Lowes for some pvc piping in the coming week. I bought some collard, chard, kale, lettuce, and pak choy babies today — and have some seeds that are up that I planted a couple of weeks ago, and broccoli plants already in the ground — so I am hoping for a better winter garden than this summer. Last winter was so mild I didn’t even have to cover the broccoli.
Your garden just looks amazing. I think you are going to have some nice fresh veggies this winter. How cold is it capable of getting down there anyway?
Oh the temperature dropped down to 14 degrees a few winters ago. But normally we’re in the 20’s. Climatologists predict a colder than average winter for most of the US this year.
Wow, you got a lot from your vegetable garden, Manuela! I can’t imagine you had to buy any at the grocery store. To think that you will be going into Winter with it is great. Good luck with it all and let us know how the coverings work out.
You inspire me so much to get outside:) Love your garden and all of the extras you have done to protect from the cold! Have a blessed week dear friend, HUGS!
OH, I have garden envy, Manuela! What a wonderful space!
Wow Manuela! Your garden is really doing great. So, this fabric cover….you don’t have to take it off on sunny days? You just leave it on through the winter and everything still grows? Tell me more!
Penny
Yes, I normally just leave it on once it’s up except when I fertilize or pick of course. I used it as a shade cloth during the beginning of the summer as well.
I love September weather, Manuela. It’s so gorgeous outside! Meanwhile, I’m waiting for some of my summer produce to finish up so I can plant my cold season crops–snap peas and lettuce. Oddly enough, the lettuce flourishes thru snow and freezing temps and comes roaring back in early Spring for a tasty crop after a long cold winter. Silly, but if they want to be salad in February, I’ll cooperate!
Thanks for the reminder to get my row cover out! Maybe it’ll hurry my other crops up a bit 🙂
love it! looking forward to hearing how much you harvest. Your plants look great and your artistic touches to everything are just beautiful.
Your garden is so beautiful and such an inspiration!
Hi Manuela! I love your beautiful garden!! I wish I had that much space!!! I’m your newest follower and would love for you to follow me back! Cheers~ Deanna
Your garden space is just enviable! I love your organized garden space and plans for the winter. Fresh produce year round would be fabulous. We pulled our tomatoes up about two weekends ago. The peppers are still growing like crazy, though. I am going to attempt a few lettuces for the fall and hope we don’t get an early freeze.
Enjoy this great weather we are having!
It’s gorgeous!
We hit 33 degrees one night last week and in spite of a brief warm up, our first real freeze is not too far away. I need to get out to the garden and get it ready for winter.
The deck plants need to be taken out to the big compost pile, too. Hard to believe our growing season is over but the drought but put such a dent in it, it was not a great year.
We’ve had a very rainy period from late August thru September so at least we’re going into winter in good shape. Especially if we get a few good snow packs. (Don’t want to even THINK of snow, yet.)
Yikes! 33 degrees! We hit low 50’s one night and we were freezing! Almost turned the heat on 🙂
Hello there, I have loved the tour of your garden, it looks great…We are going into summer here in Australia and our plants need to be protected from the heat with shade. Love the idea with the pipe over the beds, that would make for great protection. Might look at putting some of these over ours…
Wow Manuela, you have taken gardening to a beautiful level. This area is wonderful. I love it. Love how you have the area laid out, and your seating area is great. I can see how you would love to be out there day by day! We are still having very hot weather every day. I know it will change soon, so I’m enjoying it, and still planting flowers.
Have a lovely weekend.
Debbie
What a terrific garden! What a lucky girl you are! enjoy the gorgeous weather. I am already missing charleston, especially on this dreary rainy New York day.
I am fortunate to have so much space. Yes, well that’s why we moved from the NY/NJ area. Couldn’t take the weather anymore – especially the winters!
Wow! You have been busy Manuela…what an amazing piece of land…what a blessing. I love how well thought out it is and you’re using it…it’s inciting major land~envy :))) .
Love,
Tracey
x0x
I Love your Garden I am going to create one like yours it’s very inspiring and a peaceful place to be.