I've never proclaimed to be an expert homesteader or veteran gardener. I live too far away from my grandparents (resident gardening experts) for everyday advice. I usually save such phone calls for those one time questions like, "How do you know when rhubarb is ready to harvest?" In any case, the Rugged Mountain Man and I literally learn as we go, painfully at times (like the year I planted the corn THREE times!!!)
This year, our monumental discovery was planting a very late crop of cold-loving leafy greens.
When we purchased seeds, we ventured into the world of arugula. It's a stretch if you consider that we were pretty hard core Romaine lettuce people. While the Blossoms aren't totally in love with the arugula, the Rugged Mountain Man and I adore the savory tang it leaves in your mouth. And, to appease the troops, we put in a row of Romaine lettuce. (However, when the Romaine lettuce runs out, guess who's eating arugula. Sorry, girls, having the "wrong" kind of greens is really a first world problem.)
It's November and we are still regularly eating lettuce and arugula out of the garden, even after several frosts. At a time when we're normally putting the garden to bed, we saved some space for the leafy greens and are tickled pink with the result.
Now, next year, I'd like to delve into cold frames a bit. I've heard you can really extend your growing season! I'd love to eat organic leafy greens from our plot ten months out of the year. I'd call that a real gardening success. Until then, I'm going to keep enjoying my November arugula, while I thank God for a little rookie success...
