This is going to be an exciting gardening year.
Every year I grow something new in my garden. But this year I will be trialling more new crops than previous years.
Trialling 3 different varieties of chicory/radicchio
All 3 are so different in appearance. Very beautiful! Hope they grow well in my garden, may try growing 1 or 2 of each variety in containers.
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Also new this year, Ruby Streaks Mustard, Large Smooth Prague Celeriac & Red Burgundy Okra
Growing Ruby Streaks Mustard for the looks, no idea how to use it, but will learn.Will I like the taste? Will find out.
For the past few years I have been growing Brilliant celeriac, a variety recommended by Cornell for growing in the area, Cornell also recommends Large Smooth Prague for the area and because the name has the word “smooth” in it, perhaps the root is not as knobby, reason I am trialling.
Growing Red Burgundy Okra not only for the looks but hopefully it will perform better than the Clemson Spineless I have been growing.
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Also new to my garden this year will be Hesaiko Evergreen Bunching Onion and Cabernet F1 Hybrid Red Onion, gifts from my garden friend Mary of Mary’s Veggie Garden (click on link to visit).
Another new item is Ya Ya carrots that many gardeners wrote about on their blogs, May also try a few new tomato varieties, but not sure if there is room in the garden.
To make this an even more exciting gardening year Locust Grove Heritage Vegetable Garden (click on link to visit) is trialling 4 new varieties of sweet potatoes. Mary is also trialling 4 new varieties (but different from LGHVG’s), that’s 8 new varieties of sweet potatoes. Anxious to see how they perform in the Hudson Valley and how they taste. (Both Mary and I are volunteers at Locust Grove Heritage Vegetable Garden).
I will be continuing my carrot transplant experiment that I started last fall and Okinawan sweet potato experiment as well. Also continuing containers gardening.
The original Okinawan sweet potato slips were gifts (last year) from Angie of The Novice Gardener (click on link to visit). I planted both slips in containers, but that was not a good idea, they needed more room to spread so this year I am planting the slips in the ground.
Okinawan sweet potatoes require a long growing season (130 – 140 days) and is really not suited for the Hudson Valley but I did get tiny sweet potatoes last year even though I planted the slips in July in container so I am hoping by planting in June in the ground I will get a decent harvest, worth a try as I really like the taste and texture.
Okinawan Sweet Potato
Rooted 3 Okinawan sweet potatoes cuttings last fall that I am growing as houseplants. Will be taking a few cuttings around April/May for rooting to plant in the garden in June.
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So hoping spring will hurry up and get to the Hudson Valley. But judging from the photos below it will be a long, long while before we see any signs of spring. (Photos were taken before the additional snow fall over the weekend).
Depth of snow by the backdoor
After opening the back door, I pushed hard on the screen door to open a little crack and got one hand through. Using my garden shovel I chipped away the ice and snow from the screen door a bit at a time allowing a little more opening for both hands to go through, continuing to slowly chip away, until I had an opening large enough for me to squeeze through.
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Snow by shed door. I need to enter the shed to get my seed starting supplies.
Went into the shed before the snow fell to get the seed starting supplies. Gathered what I needed but managed to exit the shed without the supplies. I am such a scatterbrain.
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More snow photos ……….
With ice by the snow bank in front of the mailbox, retrieving the mail is a challenge.
Fortunately most of the Walkway from the driveway to the front door is free of ice.
The snow pile along the driveway is getting much too high.
The red and white stake is 48 inches tall
The good news is, February is a short month, only 28 days and first day of spring is March 20 only 32 days away.
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Gosh..still so much snow!! Here the temperature already reaches 7C! I can’t wait to see the result of those beautiful red chicory!
Hello Angie,
And more is predicted for this week, hoping prediction does not come true.
I think spring is going to arrive here late. The snow is going to take forever to melt.
I should trial more sweet potatoes, but just never have. The Purple you sent me is so so good. Productive, tasty, and with that deep purple it has to have a lot of anthocyanins. I’m thinking of planting about 2/3s of the bed in it this year.
Hello Daphne,
You sure got a whole lot more snow than I.
The purple SP is still my favorite and the variety I plant in my own garden, LGHVG will continue to plant it this year also. Happy to learn it produces well for you.
I’m with Daphne, the Purple sweet potato is hard to beat! It was so productive here, and good in the kitchen too. I like eating the Okinawa variety, but I’m not sure if I will try growing it again. Your growing them as houseplants and then making your own slips is a great idea. Hopefully that will help you get the long growing season they need.
Hello Dave
Glad the purple SP produces well for you also. Have you tried making chip with them in your dehydrator?
We’ve been growing Ruby Streaks for years. It’s beautiful, and seems to self-seed — great for a lazy gardener like myself. We generally use it on salads.
Hello Lisa and Robb,
Thanks for the info about Ruby Streaks mustard, I am guessing that the growing habit is similar to red giant mustard that also self-seeds. I am a lazy gardener also so this suits me fine.
Love all of your snow pictures. We are moisture-starved in Southern California. I too am trying a new vegetable in the garden. I just planted Mibuna from Kitazawa Seed Company. The picture shows it looking a bit like Komatsuna, which I also just planted. I am still looking for my Mizuna seeds. Maybe they’re in your snow-bound shed. 🙂
Hello Lou,
Hope you get some rain and soon. Never planted Mibuna, should look into it.
Oh Norma.. all that snow! What a lot of digging just to get to your shed!.. I love raddichio, so easy to grow too.. planning the garden gets us through the winter!.. c
Hello Cecilia,
Still need to get rid of the snow in front of the shed’s door. I hope all 3 radicchio varieties do well.
Wow! Ton’s of snow! We are trying several new plants this year as well. I’m kind-of growing tired of the same old plants so we are going to test out several new varieties this year!!
Hello Rick,
Looking forward to reading about your new variety of crops.
Ruby Streaks is beautiful and tasty in salads, and I like to stir fry or sautee it also. It must like California because it is volunteering in my garden too. All that snow is beautiful, but I can’t imagine having to live with it. Hope you thaw out soon!
Hello Michelle,
Thanks for the Ruby Streaks mustard information, looking forward to it volunteering in my garden in the future.
Your garden will be glorious Norma, can’t wait to see the first harvests. I have garlic growing (hibernating) in the styrofoam coolers on the garage roof, I have decided that it’s my last attempt — I suspect I have already spent more on trying to grow garlic than I normally spend in a year and we buy the expensive ones! I shall enjoy your harvests through the blog.
We have those stakes showing where the landscape lighting is and every time we’re dumped on, we dig out the little lights. They are over half buried under snow! Spring can’t come fast enough. That stupid ground hog predicted six more weeks of winter, damn thing!
Hello Eva,
With so much snow on the ground and the below normal frigid temperature it will be a long while before I can open my garden gate and for the ground to dry out and warm up. May have to do all my spring plantings in containers.
My sister sends the snow report from Rhinebeck down the road from you. She’s ready for Spring too. When I had a big garden I could spend countless hours with the seed catalogues trying to figure out what to buy.
Hello Maureen,
The snow bank at the intersection of our development was so high it was dangerous turning onto the main road, especially left turn, as one could not see the oncoming car. So few days ago our town had to send 2 trucks to cart away some of the snow, wished I had my camera with me.
My, you do have some snow..! I have spring fever too… looking for any and all signs…. womenlivinglifeafter50.com
Hello Sue,
Yep, and it is in no hurry to go away, our temp is waaaaay below normal.
Wow! That sure is a lot of snow. I’m not surprised you’re struggling to get to the letter box or manage to open the door of the shed. Thank goodness February is a short month and Spring for you is on its way xx
Hello Charlie,
I am so happy the predicted snow fall for today stayed south and did not reach us, my friends in NYC got a lot.
I cant even imagine living in a place that had snow like that, there is so much of it. It is very pretty, but far out, must be difficult to clear. Thank goodness Spring is on the way for you, I do look forward to seeing what you grow in your garden, although that does sadden me a little knowing that the cold is on the way for me. Sigh! 😦 Hope your week is going wonderfully. xo
Hello Anna,
The snow scenes are very pretty I enjoy being outdoor as long as it is not windy and bitter cold. I think you would too.
I do love snow but that is a bit much. We have had many years with a ton of snow like that but this year our snow cover is only about 12″ deep, which I feel is just the right amount.
I do love when gardeners try new varieties – can’t wait to hear your impressions. I was going to try the yaya’s as well but I already had 6 carrot varieties down on the list, so those will have to wait for next year.
Hello Margaret,
There is so much snow on the roof, I hope I do not have a repeat of last year’s ice dam damaged though I think we had more snow last year.
Wow, look the snow…still plenty…you are so optimist Norma…I love it!
I am already looking forward to your veggies…
Enjoy your week 🙂
Hello Juliana,
Temperature will be jumping to the 30’s on Sunday, so says the weatherman, that should melt away some of the snow. A great week to you.
The sun just has to melt that snow! Looks pretty from a nice warm house 🙂 Your garden is going to be beautiful! Some exciting new crops to look forward to!
Hello Sandra,
Yes, the snow scenes are pretty and will be around for a while, woke up to -6F this morning and an arctic blast is on the way.
Sounds like it’s going to be an exciting year in your garden, Norma! I’ll be following along! Btw, your Okinawan SP houseplant will also give you a few small tubers if you let it continue to grow. I got 2 small ones from mine last year, and it was growing in a pot with other houseplants! I actually think that this SP prefers to grow in pots than in the ground. But then, what do I know? I’m the novice gardener, hahah…
Hello Angie,
I can’t wait to get going with my garden. I may also try one Okinawan SP plant in container again this year just to make comparison.
Very interesting picks of seeds. I love radicchio. I can’t wait until this deep freeze and snow ends. It’s like every other day snow is falling and the temps dropping.
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Hello Rea,
This year I am going for looks reason for selecting those seeds. I am not a practical gardener. Next 2 nights are going to be super cold, be a while before the snow melts but spring will arrive.
Ruby streaks mustard sound so fancy. That’s a whole lotta snow! My parents got 1″, I think—they’re only 3 hours away and we got none but apparently everyone is flipping out–haha.
Hello Angela,
Yes, it sounds fancy and looks fancy too reason I decide to grow, hope it does well in my garden and that I will like the taste also.
You have so much snow… I do too Ms. Norma lol. But I love how your sweet potatoes are looking. i can’t wait for the snow to leave
Hello Kay,
I too can’t wait for the snow to leave unfortunately another snow storm is coming tomorrow afternoon.
lovin stir fried sweet potato leaves, you should try Norma
Hello Dedy,
I do stir-fry my sweet potato leaves.
Oooh my,…So much snow you still have there, dear Norma! xxx
It is exciting indeed, sowing & trying out new veggie plants etc this year in your vegetable garden! Cool! xxx
Hello Sophie,
Can you believe we got a few more inches yesterday into last night?
Really? Snow is over here but it is still freezing but only -2°C!
Hello Sophie,
When I woke up to the snow this morning, I am not a happy trooper.
I will be thinking of you! x
I can’t even imagine that much snow! You garden plans are very exciting and the mustard streaks and red okra are particularly appealing to me. It will be fun to see how it all grows. And Spring WILL come, hang in there. 🙂
Hello Betsy,
I am looking forward to seeing how all the new crops will perform in my garden, the colors should be lovely.
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