Fall carrots

I love harvesting carrots in the Fall after a couple of frosts. 

It seems to make them sweeter. 

I had some big help with my harvest ... Yes, she gets the "just her size " tiny ones but my little grubby garden helper needs a haircut....Can you tell? 

We settled for pulling her bangs back in a ponytail so she can at least see where she's going until we can get her a fancy hair appointment. It's not always glamorous being a garden girl!

Saving Carrots

A year in the making.....The Carrot umbels have finally bloomed. 

I am always surprised at how tall a Carrot can get during the seed saving process.

Carrots are biennial's, which means that it will take two growing seasons to complete the life cycle. 

The first year is for vegetative growth, the second year is for maturity and seed production.

With just a little more time...these will be pollinated, left to dry on the stalk and then finally ready for harvest.

February Harvest

 While most of the East Coast is buried in snow and frigid temps....We are enjoying the unusually warm weather here in North Idaho.

While taking a stroll in my melted out garden, I discovered a row of carrots that were planted late last season. 

I had forgotten to cover and protect these little gems before winter arrived. I was surprised they had survived with no protection at all.

They are small, but very sweet and tasty!

I just can not believe this weather .... and I know it can change in a blink of an eye!

So for now... I am one content gardener!!!!

Crazy Carrot

Fall is most definitely in the air, and I have been slowly harvesting carrots as the Earth is still willing to give up it's bounty before the frost.

Today in the garden, we found this crazy six fingered carrot. 

You just never know what will come up... when you tug on those green frilly tops!

Let the gardening begin

I couldn't stand it any more... I just had to dig out the cold frames and to see what was actually going on inside the boxes.

At first glance, nothing really exciting! 

I was surprised to actually see anything growing in them at all. Lack of planning on my part...

This box contained carrots that we never got around to picking... and with no extra care on my part, they were left to defend for themselves against the brutal, frigid temps that we experienced later this season.!

After clearing the old tops away...I noticed that many of the carrots had turned to mush.... there are a few diehards in the bunch, that are determined to survive no matter what! 

The Kale, Broccoli, Lettuce and Spinach happened to be left over seedling starts from last season that had been left to die, unloved, and long forgotten about!

The dirt in the frames was pretty frozen. If I plan to overwinter anything this year, I will need to take measures to amend the soil and mulch heavily with straw.

I am just excited to get the boxes opened up and to get gardening!

Breaking the ice!

Last weekend was all about breaking the ice from my cold North Idaho Garden...well, the frozen crusty snow that was covering my cold frames, anyways!

after 15 minutes of shoveling, I was finally able to open the lids and reveal the sweet earth that patiently lay in waiting for the first sign of Springs arrival.

As you can see they were still filled with last seasons left over garden remains and needed to be cleaned out.

 

 Today, the first cold frame was amended with compost and seeded with the first planting of Scarlet Nantes Carrots

The others will be planted with Lettuce and Spinach in the very near future.