Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Garlic and Mint and . . . Frost?

We've had an unusually warm and long fall season (not complaining) without any threat of Jack Frost making his first appearance.  Up until now.
 
The forecast for the next several nights shows temperatures hovering just at or barely above freezing so the end of our Indian Summer may be close at hand.
 

I finally got my garlic planted yesterday.  Each lovely, little clove is now snuggled down under 2-3" of soil, covered with a thick blanket of straw mulch which is held in place with a cattle panel to prevent our fall/early winter winds from dislodging it.  Sleep tight, garlic.  See you in the spring.
 

My raised bed of mint finally filled in to a really nice degree this summer.  The two bare-ish spots you see at the far end of this picture are probably where I made the last cutting a little too close to the ground.  (Bad, Mama Pea.)  Also, some of the greenery you may be able to see is dandelion greens or other hardy little weeds, but if you've ever tried to weed a mint bed you know how much of a tangled torture that can be.  I'll be more diligent come spring. 
 
Both Papa Pea and I spent our early morning hours today suffling around with hands clutching warm coffee cups and an extra layer or two on our bodies before we decided it would be much more sensible if we made a fire in the wood stove here in the kitchen.  It's that shoulder time of year when one forgets how and when to fire the stoves to maintain a comfort level.  We wouldn't yet want a fire all day, but one first thing in the morning sure does help get these two bodies up and moving quicker.  And with more cheerfulness.

15 comments:

Nancy In Boise said...

Ah a nice warm fire and hot beverage!

Mama Pea said...

Nancy - Sure feels good this time of year, doesn't? :o)

Michelle said...

Love that term – "shoulder time of year." It's the same here; a fire at night and stoked for a morning revival feels good, but too much for all day.

Rosalea said...

Good to get that garlic nestled in! I am curious about the depth you plant them. I am rather new in the garlic planting department, (only have had room to grow it since we moved here) but understand from locals, that 6" is the depth, so that is what I do.
I think if I had to choose just one thing to grow, garlic would be the thing. It is so easy and care-free...plant it, mulch it, and watch it go....We are warm again this AM, 54F overnight and 66F now...so no fire, although tempted!!

Mama Pea said...

Michelle - Nights we haven't been bothering lighting a fire in the living room stove where we settle down for a little relaxing before bed. Hubby just got a new bathroom (oh, the excitement!) that is super-plush and warm so he's luxuriating in that and I like to make a nest on the couch under a quilt. But mornings now are definitely time for a little warm-up!

Rosalea - Whoa, 6" down for your garlic cloves? But I have read that planting deep can increase the size of the bulbs you harvest, so who knows? The info I've received with my bulbs is to plant 1-2" deep in less frigid climates, but 2-3" in the north. I guess we all have to find out what works for us in our particular locations. Planting deep would certainly give more protection for the cloves over winter if the winter was severe and the freeze deep in the ground.

You raise a good question regarding "what is the one thing you would grow in your home garden if you had to choose." Hmmmm, maybe a blog post?

Leigh said...

Mama Pea, I admit to being relieved at reading you've just planted your garlic. I'm finally getting mine planted too! I feared I was to late, but something is better than nothing.

Nice to see your mint bed doing so well. I'm surprised ours manages to keep alive, considering it suffers so much heat and dry.

Stay warm, you two!

Mama Pea said...

Ha! Up in my reply to Michelle's comment, I said Papa Pea got a new "bathroom." Nope. A typo on my part and I meant to say "bath robe!" Big difference . . . although we have talked about redoing our bathroom! (The bath robe was much cheaper.)

Katie C. said...

We have tried to grow garlic for three years running but they just come out too small. Three strikes and yer out!


I think today might be our last day in the 70s this year so my guy is going to power wash the patio. We need to get it repointed. Our evenings have been pretty cool too but we haven’t lit the pellet stove yet … yet …

Mama Pea said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mama Pea said...

Leigh - Having lots of trouble getting this to go thru to you. One more time!

I've read that those of you in "the South" should be able to plant your garlic in the spring and have it come out just fine. Have you ever tried that? I'm sure it's not too late for you to plant now in the fall, though. I experimented planting ours in the spring (because someone told me it would work . . . silly idea, huh?) and although all the cloves turned into bulbs, they weren't very big and didn't keep well. So that's why I ordered and planted new stock this year.

Gosh, growing mint for you is a must! How are you going to have those traditional Mint Juleps otherwise? ;o)

We had 29° this morning. Guess Jack Frost has arrived!

Mama Pea said...

Katie C. - I don't blame you on giving up on growing garlic after three failures? Wonder what happened?

So cool here this morning we've got the kitchen and living room wood stove perking away. Fall has . . . fallen.

Michelle said...

I did think it odd that you two would put in a "super-plush and warm" bathroom where Papa Pea was luxuriating; it just didn't fit my mental image of you two hardy, down-home folk! Ha!

Mama Pea said...

Michelle - My brain has truly been mush this whole last week! I even "proof-read" that comment before sending it . . . totally missing the new "bathroom" he's now wearing. I did something else today that was just dumb and I had to explain by stating I must be an idiot. Sigh. Maybe I'll be better after a winter's rest. Maybe.

SmartAlex said...

Our forecast has been in the mid-forties overnight but Tuesday morning it was 36 with a pretty good frost. It didn't touch the gardens though because everything is so well surrounded by gravel and therefore much warmer. I did change my covers on the lettuce and cabbage to the heavy frost covers so I'm ready. ...then we had the usual argument about when to turn the furnace on LOL.

Mama Pea said...

SmartAlex - Doesn't it seem that this time of year one can't really rely on the temperature forecasts? Just a variance of a few degrees and we suffer frost . . . or no frost. Better be safe (as you are) from now until everything in the garden is done for the winter. As for inside temps, seems there's always one of a couple that prefers it either warmer or cooler. One of those little challenges of living together! ;o)