Mizuna Miracle

Happy New Year! I don't make new year resolutions so don't expect any of those 'my plans for 2010' type posts around these parts.

I'm getting mighty fed up with the snow, we enjoyed about 10 minutes snow free but by the 2nd Jan big, fat flakes were spattering wetly on the pavements of Diss once more and, yet again, our garden is frozen solid. As I type Adam is pouring warm water over the catch on the chicken coop door to unfreeze it and let poor old Feathers out to stretch her (frozen) legs.

During the brief defrost I was delighted to discover that my Mizuna crop actually recovered really well from it's foray into the deep freeze. I was expecting it to turn to mush after being frozen in the snow but it emerged sprightly as ever, my response was to ruthlessly chop it down and serve it with roasted veg and a wild salmon fillet (wild? It was bloody livid)

Gathering winter crops is a skill quite separate from it's summer equivalent. I find the most difficult part is remembering to venture out into the garden before 3pm as any later it's pitch black and a 3rd hand is required to hold the torch. Yesterday when the snow began to fall I decided to nip out and chop down the mizuna before it froze again, even though it only took a few minutes my hands were numb with cold after ferreting around among the snow and I quickly fled back indoors. Quite different from strolling barefoot on the grass on a balmy summer evening, plucking cherry tomatoes and strawberries at leisure.

As you can see above my mini greenhouse is positively stuffed with winter salad but that won't last forever, the mizuna is now gone and, yes, there are still some Jerusalem Artichokes but come mid-February even the most hardened follower of this blog will be a tad jaded with a diet made up of artichoke anecdotes alone. Bressingham Parish Council - are you listening? That allotment I was promised would be ready in June 2008, I could really do with it right now!

Winter in the Veg Patch

This is the first year I've attempted to grow winter crops and, so far, it's not going too badly. Pictured are my winter radishes growing in their freecycle skyscraper. Their progress is much slower than their summer brethren but they're still trundling along in a persistent manner. Also pictured is my mizuna, the original sowing went the same way as the first crop of radishes - chomped by Very Hungry Caterpillars while we were on holiday in August. I've decided I'm a huge mizuna fan. This is the first time I've tried it, it's very reminiscent of rocket both in taste and texture but it's slightly softer and milder so I find it more acceptable as a salad or stir fry leaf on it's own.

The Jerusalem artichokes look just about ready to harvest so I'll be chopping down the withered stems and leaves at the weekend but leaving the chokes in the ground where I'll pull them up as needed. Last year I saved a few to re-plant in spring but I've since realised there's no need as there are always loads in the ground that get missed and sprout up again. (even the neighbours have 'benefitted' from an accidental crop)

The mini greenhouse is looking good too, planted up with Pak Choi, Tatsoi and winter salad. Something is chomping in there though and I'm not sure what, the damage isn't devastating enough for slugs but surely it's too cold for caterpillars in November?

Next project is to initiate the Bokashi composting system. I'm hoping this works out as conventional composting can be tricky in a small garden so fingers crossed.