Salvaging the Harvest

After a promising December, the winter got dry and cold.  Combine that with some seed packets a couple of years old, and all I have from my winter planting are a few radishes and carrots that are growing very slowly and arugula that started to bolt almost before it was large enough to use.

Undaunted, I'm trying again.  This is my third or fourth time seeding some of the vegetables.   The seeds are probably too old.  Most have 2017 stamped on the back.  I did pick up a new packet of sugar snap pea seeds.  If it's going to be cold, might as well.  I'm watering more aggressively instead of hoping the 20% chance of rain every week pans out.  The carrots are already improving, and most of the peas have sprouted.

The artichokes like the weather, though.  I'm expecting Artie to start growing a stalk any day now.  He has two strong sprouts this year.  The smaller artichokes are healthier than they were last year, so I should get something out of them.  The boysenberry bramble could bud within a month.

I'm already thinking about what to plant for summer.  Leaning toward eggplant and kale.  I might skip the gourd category and all of its fungus prevention.  I'm probably going to get seedlings this time instead of the relentless disappointment of starting from seed.  It's cheaper and a bigger thrill when it works, but I'm not that good at it.  We'll see what Armstrong has on the day I go.