The new gardening season

Unchronicled, the world has gone on just fine -- spring turned to summer, then to fall. The fruits and vegetables grew and ripened in their time, and were eaten and enjoyed, or pickled or frozen. Some flourished -- this was the year of the poles beans. Others, like the winter squash, didn't do as well. Still others, particularly the perennials like Jerusalem artichokes, horseradish, lingonberries, and fall-bearing raspberries -- produce with almost no attention at all. Five months of photos sit on my computer; I'll share some of my favorites soon. But consumed by other matters or not, we are always thankful for the abundance that surrounds us.

Lingonberries, native to Scandinavia, make a beautiful (and edible) ground cover under the taller blueberry bushes. A late fall treat.

Even as our part of the world transitions to late fall, our transition to year-round growing means that we witness new beginnings and new harvests. The salad greens planted from August through late September are our contribution to this year's Thanksgiving dinner: mesclun lettuce mix from the cold frames; arugula, spicy mustard greens, minutina, mache, claytonia, and beet leaves protected under plastic hoops. Beet, carrot, turnip and radish -- stored in the ground where they grew -- were shredded and tossed. Licorice flavored sweet cicely leaves, which I was surprised to find still surviving nestled under nearby branches, went in the salad as well.

Fresh-picked Thanksgiving salad.

After last year's encouraging experiment growing winter greens under low hoops (rickety ones at that, thrown together at the last moment), we put together a walk-in "high tunnel." Or as some local farmers more attractively (and perhaps more accurately) advertised, a "passive solar greenhouse." It will serve to grow a variety of semi-hardy greens (plus some transplanted dill and scallions) from now until spring, protecting them from snow and frost with a cover of plastic and warming them by trapping heat on sunny days.

The seeds went in a bit late (September, rather than August) so the semi-hardy, but day-light sensitive cooking greens are still small, but they should begin to grow rapidly in February, when the days noticeably lengthen. Here are some photos of the building process:

The hoop house starts to go up in the old driveway.

Framing the doors.

We found an old storm door at the local "reuse" center.

Richard investigates.

Margo and Kat taking a break. In the background, a "low hoop" covers mustard greens, cabbage, and beets.

The view from the front porch.