The weather is warming and the days are longer giving the cucumbers a chance to finally kick into high gear (too bad the dill is done). The garlic and tomatillos seem to sense warmer weather too.
This winter I grew two varieties of dill I usually don't grow, Fernleaf and Bouquet. Both did exceptionally well in the keyhole garden, producing densely leafed plants about 15 inches high. Fernleaf was darker green and denser, but Bouquet was more fragrant and flavorful.
Coming to the last of the winter veggies in the keyhole garden. This sexy beast is a ruby perfection red cabbage. Absolutely gorgeous, full-sized plant with a nice tight purple ball in the center. Ruby Perfection red ball cabbage - a full-sized red cabbage It's supposed to be sunny and warm all week, so this is going to make some great coleslaw this weekend.
The keyhole garden is in that awkward transitional stage between Winter and Spring. Winter veggies and herbs are petering out while spring plants like tomatillos, peppers, cucumbers and onions are just getting started.
Warm weather followed by a week of rain has really kicked the leafy greens into high gear. On the front left you can see the remainder of the romaine heads giving one last push. Meanwhile on the right, it's a motley assortment of loose leaf greens, spinach and cilantro. One head of broccoli remains as does the red cabbage (back and center right). The dill I have planted around the perimeter of the compost bin (center) is thick, leafy and [keep reading...]
The winter crops continue their rotation out of the bed. Broccoli is all done (save 1 plant), and the Romaine lettuce and peas are calling it quits as well. We cut the cilantro down to an inch high to keep it leafy and stop it from bolting. I replaced the broccoli with cucumbers (National Pickling) over this past weekend and infilled some of the empty spot in the lettuces with spinach (Space) I'd been holding in the greenhouse. Just a [keep reading...]
Winter crops are petering out in the keyhole garden. Broccoli is heading out, cabbage is ripe, peas have been picked and the Romaine lettuce is about done. Just in time too. Cucumbers, more lettuce, tomatillos and tomatoes are all waiting in the greenhouse for their turn in the garden.
Temperatures have been well below freezing at night for the past week, but you wouldn't know it by looking at the keyhole garden. It continues to produce like there's no tomorrow. We've been harvesting lettuce and cilantro all week and it just seems to grow right back. Garlic, broccoli and cabbage are thriving as well.
80 degree heat earlier this week forced me to actually water the garden. It's quite full now. Time to start harvesting some of that lettuce and cilantro for Super Bowl snacking tomorrow.
A bit of rain followed by warmer weather from what I call our "fake spring" (it always gets really warm here at the end of January, then snaps back to cold) has the vegetables in the keyhole garden growing like crazy. All the garlic is now well along and the romaine lettuce, cilantro and dill are getting close to harvest. Maybe another week or so.
