Rosalind
Deeply Rooted
You know, I was sure the broccoli was no good this year. I got one little crown, and the rest was et by slugs, nibbled by a very acrobatic woodchuck, and generally reduced to stubs. I had planted Waltham 29 and Thompson, which are supposedly very short season, figuring maybe I can get two crops if I start it indoors, but then the summer was so cool and wet. I thought, that's it, no broccoli for me, it's cabbage and kale from now on.
Broccoli was planted near my kale, which is still happy and healthy, so I just left it. Thought for sure it would die with the frosts, being little more than stems and a few small leaves. Well, come late October they had survived a couple of frosts and made some larger leaves, but I got busy and didn't think about it, having mulched the garden in for the winter.
It's been a relatively warm fall here, and today it's in the 60s. Temps aren't supposed to freeze again till after Thanksgiving. Today I went out to put row covers on the late cabbages, and what do I find? A whole bouquet of little broccoli florets! Enough for a nice stir-fry or side dish.
This, I think, is one of the most rewarding things about gardening--the happy surprises you get, just when you think all is lost. I was sure, 100% sure, that the garden was done, that many things I planted had been swamped or mildewed out by rain, that the only thing left was the overwintering onions, the green manure (field peas and lentils) and the late cabbage. Instead, I got broccoli, some lovely orange calendulas, and some spinach that's been hiding in a corner of the cold frame.
Broccoli was planted near my kale, which is still happy and healthy, so I just left it. Thought for sure it would die with the frosts, being little more than stems and a few small leaves. Well, come late October they had survived a couple of frosts and made some larger leaves, but I got busy and didn't think about it, having mulched the garden in for the winter.
It's been a relatively warm fall here, and today it's in the 60s. Temps aren't supposed to freeze again till after Thanksgiving. Today I went out to put row covers on the late cabbages, and what do I find? A whole bouquet of little broccoli florets! Enough for a nice stir-fry or side dish.
This, I think, is one of the most rewarding things about gardening--the happy surprises you get, just when you think all is lost. I was sure, 100% sure, that the garden was done, that many things I planted had been swamped or mildewed out by rain, that the only thing left was the overwintering onions, the green manure (field peas and lentils) and the late cabbage. Instead, I got broccoli, some lovely orange calendulas, and some spinach that's been hiding in a corner of the cold frame.
