HI, I've been wondering the same thing for months! I guess we Americans don't yet have a tradition of winter gardening like the Europeans. I've just picked a bunch of spinach from one of my coldframes for dinner tonight and had a look at my savoy cabbage in the field that got planted late last year and the heads are just starting to form. I should get off my butt and get some things started in the other empty coldframe. I miss my carrots that did so well this year and I know I could have had them all winter had I got them planted ala Eliot Coleman style and bedded them in a coldframe for the winter. Maybe next year. My collards and kale got a major picking last week after a run of misreably cold weather made them suffer even under my reemay and plastic row covers. And were they ever good! The broccoli got in late and I was able to get a couple of meals before they succumbed to the 9 degree Morning of Death we had a few weeks ago. And hey, I'm in north Georgia about ten miles from NC and grew up in Charlotte, does that count?! Are you in a warm zone 7 or cold? I'm wondering if I can plant some carrots as well in my coldframes.

I guess I am in a cold zone 7. In the foothills of the Appalacian Mts. (sp?)

I would think you could grow carrots in your cold frame as long as it is deep enough. Once they sprout probably keep an eye on the inside temp when it is sunny cause they may get burned being they are so delicate.

We have a daughter, son in law and grandaughter in GA. We go to visit every 4-6 months since it is only a 6 hour drive from here. They live in Smyrna area.

I was going to put some peas in today , it was beautiful this morning when I got out and planted my raised carrot bed but then it became horribly windy and I can hardly stand up out there let alone run a tiller. So I guess the peas go in thisa weekend.

Hope to hear more.
Susan

I assumed it was quiet because people were posting in the other forums.

I had grand visions of transplanting roses and preparing vegetable beds today. Unfortunately, it's raining and is expected to continue all night. I know we need the rain, but it's not very often that my kids are gone all day. I was really looking forward to taking advantage of the opportunity.

boballi :(

Farther south, the idea of winter gardening isn't quite the new fangled idea I think it is in many places. I enjoyed Coleman's book immensely and plan to try out many of his ideas, but hardly a single garden around here doesn't have cabbages and collards and kale and more growing all through the winter.

Susan,
We've had a warm spell here and I've got my seed safe near me at all times just waiting for the best time to start something. I'm trying to finish a guest cabin remodel so our son's family (identical twin baby girls!) can come up and visit. We live in the foothills of the Appalacian Mts. too. We lived in Atlanta and I'm quite fimiliar with Smyrna. Yes, carrots in the coldframe. And I'm going to start some broccoli soon. I really want to get the hang of that veg as it goes a long way in every respect. Everyone loves it so I can repay favors such as manure, bags of leaves, labor, construction help, ect. It's as healthy as it can be, too. I looked at my collards and kale and they are starting to sprout new leaves so I might get one more harvest before they head for the compost. Glad to see this forum liven up a bit.
Herbert

Hi Herbert,

I have great success with broccoli, it does really well here. I could eat it with every meal, I think I have been known to do that actually. LOL

We got a bit cooler here today but still real windy. Hoping tomorrow is calmer so I can get my peas and maybe my potatos in the ground.

Keep in touch,
Susan in NC

I haven't started planting for spring, although I guess I should.

I have a 4x8 coldframe planted during late summer that still has lots of carrots in it. I haven't uncovered the "salad" end of the coldframe, that will be a project for this weekend as I am sure the plants will be ready for harvest very soon.

My kids love the winter carrots, although ours don't have the "sweet" reputation that Eliot Coleman claims for his.

We have high wind warnings up for the weekend, so I doubt that I will do any outside gardening. I need to get my tomato seeds planted in the greenhouse window, though.

Catherine

I get a little tired of the constant references to "candy carrots" in Coleman's book...

My problem with 4season gardening is I don't get the seeds germinated and the plants mature enough before the cold hits. They spend the winter surviving but not offering much harvest. Then I get a nice spring harvest and then they bolt.

Eventually I'll get the germination thing down, I hope. It's tough in this hot climate, getting cool-season stuff started in late summer.
-O