Friday, August 13, 2010

The Winter Garden

I know we are very fortunate to be able to grow veggies all year round. Last winter I wasn't too equipped with winter veggie growing and had lots of bare patches. This season only one bed has stood empty.

We finished school up early today and headed into the garden. We are having unseasonal weather with long hot dry spells and none of the wild wet days normally experienced at this time of year.

We dug up some sweet potatoes. Tomorrow I am going to make baked sweet potatoes with marshmallow topping!

Here are some views of the garden...





My broad beans are delighting me...first time I am growing them and they stand as tall as me. We staked them today by using 6 stakes and tying some chord around them. At the base of the stems, the first ones are almost ready.

We also have carrots a plenty, cabbage, spinach and turnips all ready to eat. A much more successful winter this season.

7 comments:

Jane said...

These veggies all look so healthy. It looks like you get lots of lovely sun. What are the tall bushes? I am sure that if you can grow all these, I should be able to - just need more sun on my beds.
Have a great weekend

Patsy from Illinois said...

I don't comment on blogs very often but I must tell you I read your blog regularly.

Also, I am very jealous of your wonderful garden. I live in Illinois in the states and our weather has been so bad that gardens really suffered this year.

Late spring and early summer brought floods and hail. The rest of the summer has been scorching heat and no rain. So gardens this year have not been good.

Keep blogging and God bless.

Grant said...

Oh my goodness. I am so jealous. Your garden looks incredible!

Urban Homestead South Africa said...

Jane, those tall plants are broad beans. They are the only bean you can grow in winter and can go in the ground from May - Aug.

Patsy, nice to meet you! I completely understand about weather and gardens. We are concerned that we have not had enough rain yet this winter, and its 2 weeks left!

Cath, just wait, soon your frost will be over and your garden supplying you like last year!

Unknown said...

I live in Malaysia, sun and rain all year round.. The soil is fertile.. But I guess I don't have the time to do gardening like you do....
Kudos to you!!!

Anonymous said...

I really want to try growing sweet potatoes. How do they grow? Like a potato bush?

Urban Homestead South Africa said...

Hi Celeste

Here is a tutorial on how to plant and grow sweet potatoes:

http://www.simple-green-living.com/how-to-grow-sweet-potatoes.html