Its not to Late for that Garden!

I know we promised DIY... but I thought we should get to this first..

For those of you who haven't had time to get that Winter Garden in yet.

ITS NOT TOO LATE!! Infact im planting mine today!

Planting and keeping a garden we will agree isn't the easiest of jobs, but it all becomes worth it once you bite into that first tomato or carrot. And you can never go back to store bought foods!

A few tips for beginning Gardners

*Don't try and plant everything you want the first time! Many people plant everything they want and then become overwhelmed and let it go. Dont forget what it entails... watering weeding and caring. Start small and add crops over the years. 

*Dont let weeds stick around! The weeds suck nutrients from the plants and not only can hurt them but can hurt the flavor! Dont get behind. When you go out to check on them just pull the little boogers. Its worth it!

*The easiest garden to start is going to be a box garden. Build up a couple rows of bricks or logs and fill it with compost , and soil. This is the easiest because you dont have to do any digging. It is very organized and its astheticly pleasing :)

*Pay attention to where the sun is in the yard! Sun = Healthy

Other than that...  there are So many websites to let you know how to keep a garden in your side of the world! So be brave! Do it!

Here is a list of many of the Cool weather/Winter plants!

• Snap peas and snow peas -Frost-hardy peas may be planted whenever the soil temperature is at least 45°F or plant heat-tolerant varieties in midsummer to late summer for a fall crop. Plant peas at least 1 to 1-1/2 inches deep and one inch apart. Approximately 60 days to harvest.
• Cole crops: broccoli, cabbage, collards (frost hardy- can tolerate more cold weather in the late fall than other cole crops - 60-75 days to harvest), cauliflower, brussels sprouts, bok choy...
• Carrots - Hardy, cool season biennial. Plant about 1/2 deep (no more than two or three seeds per inch). Takes 2 weeks to germinate and approximately 60+ days to mature.
• Parsnips - Plant seeds 1/2 to 3/4 " deep. They are slow germinating. You can keep them in the ground over winter and harvest in spring for what most consider to be the best flavor!
• Beets - Fairly frost hardy. Thin seedlings to 1-3 inches apart. Start successive plantings at 3 to 4 week intervals until midsummer. Takes approximately 60 days to maturity.
• Onions - Winter onions are planted from sets formed at the tops of the plant in place of flowers. You must get a winter variety such as walking onion/Egyptian onion, and these are perennials so give them a permanent home. In August, plant the sets 1 inch deep. Space sets 4 inches apart.
• Lettuce - Can be planted early spring or late summer. You may want to start lettuce seedlings in the shade and transplant when temperatures cool. Plant 1/2 inch deep, 12 inches apart.
• Mesclun - A mixture of young, leafy greens including lettuce.
• Spinach - Seed spinach in late summer for fall and winter harvest. Chill your spinach seeds in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks before planting.
• Rutabagas/Turnips - A rutabaga is a cross between a cabbage and turnip. Turnips grow wild in Siberia. Turnips mature in two months and may be planted either in the spring, late summer or fall. You can eat the roots or leaves. Rutabagas mature in 3 months.
• Chard - Plant seeds 1/2 to 3/4 inches deep.

Also, remember that cold frames, containers, indoor gardening and greenhouses extend your growing season too. Many people garden year-round. Where there's a will, there is almost always "a way."