Over Wintering thoughts

We're on our way to our annual family ski trip and I'm reading a copy of Mother Earth News Living Series: Guide to Organic Gardening.  One of the articles discusses low tunnel growing for over wintering veggies. Its a very interesting article.

The veggies that over winter well for an early spring crop are:

Beets
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Lettuce
Onions
Peas
Spinach

This gives me a few ideas of what to grow over the winter for the 4 seasons challenge.  Peas, onions and beets are pulling at me so I think I'll look into adding those to my winter plan. 

It also gives an easy look at how to build a low hoop tunnel,with the help of a conduit bender available at Johnnys Selected Seeds (will include link later after arriving at the hotel).  Since we always get snow here I'll be using metal conduit for my tunnels to give them the strength to hold up under snow.  I'm hoping to have the money to do this sometime in March so I can get some other veggies out early. 

When I get back home I'll be sowing the last 4 Broccoli plants.

Blessings!

2011 Growing Challenge: 4 Season Gardening!

I have joined this 4 Season Challenge & the Seed to Seed Challenge over at One Green Generation.
Join us!!

The 4 Season Garden challenge is to obviously garden in all 4 seasons - Now the winter is going to be a challenge for me (and perhaps some of you as well) but it's something I've been thinking about and wondering how to make it work on a budget.  Now there's a challenge!  With all the snow we still have (I actually can see 1 corner of one of my raised beds), growing things under lights in my basement is looking good!

2 - Grow something new each season and grow it from SEED! I'm growing a bunch of new things this year and all from seed.  In the spring, I have new lettuce varieties and broccoli.  In the summer, I have corn and potatoes along with new varieties of pole beans, bush beans, cukes, tomatoes and carrots.  For the fall, I was planning on growing what I did in the spring but perhaps I can kick it up a notch by adding something.  Oh the possibilities!!

3 - Spread the word! Blog about what your doing, tell people about what your doing, or go to the website and comment about what you're doing. Encourage 3 others to start gardening!! I know I've already encourage my bestest friend who lives in Texas to encourage his soon to be fiance who has been wanting to grow a garden.  She just planted her first strawberry plants today! :)

An optional challenge is if you can't grow it, buy it from a local farmer.  I definitely plan on doing that this year.  I have to learn about preserving veggies (freezing/canning) since there's not much available in the winter and I don't know of any local farmers that are even open to the public right now.