What a joy to wake up with SUN this morning! Pitch black mornings make it hard to get out of bed. There was a definite chill in the air, 32 degrees and frost to be exact. My day started with a chuckle, courtesy of local channel 10 weatherman Rich Caniglia as he described catching a bat hanging from his kitchen ceiling using two oven mitts, HAHA! He also forecasted temps. in the mid 50’s with lots of sun. That’s perfect for working in the garden!
I’ve been planting garlic since the beginning of October. We had a cold snap then and I planted “expecting” a hard freeze and an early snow. Of course I was wrong, it has been mild and rainy over the past few weeks and some of the garlic has sprouted. So I planted more… just in case… twice. Today I planted more. I’m not worried about not having enough garlic next summer, I just miss planting in the garden already and it’s only November! I’m longing for the miracle of seemingly dried-up paper husks sending forth green shoots. I yearn for soil under my nails and the so-tired-all-over feeling from a hard day’s work drawing rows, planting seeds and mulching. I miss Spring.
Not that I want to skip winter. I just want to garden at the same time. That’s why gardening indoors (using artificial light enhanced with natural light to grow small scale produce) has caught my attention. The advantages are clear: no insects or extreme weather shifts, no worries about the neighbors’ lawn service. Disadvantages: CATS.
I’m giving it a go! I’ll use the same set-up as seed starting but I need another shelf unit (Craigslist.org, Freecycle.org) mine are full of home-canned goodies! This is a chance to try some new edibles like Asian greens, dwarf peppers and tomatoes. I’m getting out the seed stash tonight!
