Make-do Winter Gardening

We are definitely feeling a transition in the weather here in the Pacific Northwest over the last couple weeks, after a summer to remember that set numerous records for warmth and dryness.  We have had at least a couple storms roll through this month, nothing too dramatic other than in contrast to the amazingly balmy or even scorching preceding couple months.  But with days shorter, persistent grayness, which we have experienced several times lately for even more than a day at a time, are a definite reminder that grayness and possibly even recurring or really persistent light (or moderate) rain are sort of the signature of our climate, driving some to a SAD state of depression.

I took the signals this weekend as a different inspiration, doing more clearing of exhausted spent ends of various vegetable and decorative crops in an hour or two than I can sometimes bring myself to do in the whole wind-down to winter.  I try to route as much as possible to our compost bins, but aggressive seedy materials, serious weeds, and chunks that seem unlikely to break down soon end up in the city yard waste container.  Ms. Gumbo is generally more dutiful than I at this cleanup, deadheading, whacking, and cleaning up our extensive yard on and off throughout the Fall.  I believe she even did some bulb-planting yesterday, an exercise that has commonly been assigned to me.

My efforts were mostly for the purpose of finding space to again stab at planting cold-hardy edibles.  I hope to do more of this later, garlic in particular.  This time around I started with an initial seeding-in-the-ground of fava beans, which I have been having fun with for several years now, these beans at least the fifth generation I believe.  I get some wholly-justified guff over the fact that we have rarely actually consumed any favas.  The reality is that I love the unusual appearance of the plants and more importantly the fecundity of the individual beans - at least nine of ten sprout for me, even after a year or more of less-than-ideal preservation.  The reality is that I have not figured out how to get anywhere near the production that I see in some pea-patches here.  I am wrestling with that.  My previous Fall efforts have been more energy-intensive, involving starting the seeds in pots and then planting the 2"+ starts out.  I lost most of my first planting last Winter.  Second try was moderately successful.  I suspect a combination of over-gardened, nutrient-low soil and limited sunlight explain most of my crop shortage.  A continuing experiment.

I also dusted the prior fava area with a mix of coriander from this year's gone-to-seed crop and leftover arugula and mustard seeds from the Spring planting.  I was slow to learn just this year that coriander (perhaps more familiar from leaves known as cilantro) is pretty cold-hardy.  This mixed-greens planting was pretty impromptu - I did my best imitation of image I remember of seed-sowing farmer with hip-sack in famous Renaissance painting, though I did bias my seeds a bit.  Intent is that I will get back there in a month or two and see what has sprouted and hopefully have to thin.  My previous work with these greens was similar to favas, namely starting in pots and replanting.  But I am counting on this year's work to help with individual seedling ID.  And I have some backup already in place in the form of a gazillion self-seeded arugula plants that I noticed just after I finished my exercise - and I somewhat expect same from coriander self-seeding.