What weather we've been having lately! I was (naively) hopeful for a sunny day so I could get out the garden, but I think the weather has truly taken a turn for the worse. It's blowing a gale and the trees are bending at frightening angles; my windows are shaking and I cannot warm up. And I'm pretty sure the wind has moved my car, although that could just be me being dramatic.
Oscar is thoroughly hating this weather and being unable to go outside (he hates outdoors at the best of times) he's roaming the house and being bothersome and naughty and rummaging through the recycling bin for empty cat food sachets.
However, just because the weather has turned apocalyptic, doesn't mean we can't be growing some delicious veggies and salads in the garden, or containers if the garden is waterlogged.
Here are some vegetables that will grow through the winter...
In the Garden...
Onions and Shallots
Spring onions grow well throughout the winter. "White Lisbon" is a hardy variety which is champion in the colder months. I grew these last summer and had a huge crop of them in only a few weeks time, which makes them perfect for successional growing. Pair this with their ability to survive in the cold, and spring onions will be available from your own garden all year round.
I grew mine in the garden with the leeks and some beetroot. This year, however, I'm going to grow them in one of my larger containers and save the space they took up in the garden for more beetroots or leeks.
Funny story: I sowed the spring onions seeds in a tray and allowed them to grow a few inches before transplanting them to their little patch of heaven in the back garden. I'd go up every day and water (or my mother would, she likes watering) and they'd all be standing there like little tufts of green hair. One day, I went up and noticed that something had pulled up a few of the tiny little onions and just placed them next to the hole they'd come from. I put them back in, firmed the soil around them and left them alone. This happened for a few days in a row and I put it down to the birds in the garden pulling them out and then not wanting to eat them. After a few weeks of this happening, I finally caught the culprit red-handed: my labrador, who is singlehandedly the dumbest creature to have ever been created, was walking up and down the row of spring onions and pulling them out, ever so gently may I add, with her teeth, and laying them back down again. And when she was happy with what she'd done, she'd totter off to find some apples.
Onion sets and shallots will happily grow through the winter also.
Garlic
I planted my garlic last week. 18 cloves went in, and their little green tips are poking through and it's all very exciting! I have another 2 bulbs to plant but I'll plant those in a months time which will mean I have a relatively continuous supply of garlic through the late summer and autumn, and last us well through the winter. Hopefully.
Leeks
I grew my leeks form seed last year in September/October. They've been growing beautifully throughout the winter since then, and I picked my first few homegrown leeks last week to be turned into my mothers infamous leek and potato soup. I will admit that they didn't grow into the monsters I'd envisaged, but it has been a particularly cold winter so that has most likely been a factor. Still, they were healthy sized leeks and there are some continuing to grow in the garden, ready to be picked another day.
Perpetual Spinach
Spinach, in our family, is as much of a necessity as milk. We love the stuff, whether it's in a salad, fried, steamed, in a stir-fry, curry or in our all-time favourite dish, eggs florentine. The miracle green leaf is notoriously easy to grow and will be quite content in a container. I actually grew mine in a hanging basket last year, which I won't do again as I kept forgetting it was there. If you have a better memory than me, this is a great way to grow it as it takes up no space whatsoever.
Carrots
Again, if these happy little fella's have been planted in the autumn and have nice long green stems and leaves, then they can survive the cold months with one simple method: cover the earth with black plastic (this will keep the ground warm and stop it from freezing) and the cover this with hay to add extra warmth. Through the winter the carrots will put all their energy into growing fat orange roots, suitable for harvesting through the winter and into spring. This is how British farmers grow carrots through the winter; if it works for them, it works for us.
Whether most root vegetables will be able to sustain a cold climate and continue to grow, I am not sure as I've not tried it. I will most certainly be putting this on my to-do list and let you know how it goes.
In the Greenhouse...
Winter Salads
Rocket, mizuna, mibuna and mustard greens are all suitable leaves to grow under cover through the winter. Also, radicchio, cos, endive, corn salad (or lamb's lettuce) and chicory are all suitable for winter growing. Chicory can also be forced once the plant is established and has a good root system. The variety I've grown for leaves is Witloof. I haven't forced any yet, that is also on my to-do list. I may do that tomorrow morning actually...
Pak Choi
Amazing stuff. You can't go wrong with these plants, they are that simple to grow. Plants are "cut and come again" so are long lasting, completely delicious either steamed or fried, and full of that good nutritional stuff. However, less is more. I grew about 12 plants last year and that was TOO MUCH; we probably would've only needed around 3 or 4 plants to keep us all fed.
Herbs
Parsley, chives, thyme, oregano and even mint can survive the cold months if brought inside your greenhouse or even kitchen. They'll live happily with a bit of warmth and sun and can be moved back out into the garden in spring once the frosts have passed.
The herbs are in my grandmothers greenhouse from plants she bought from a supermarket. I think even she is amazed at how well they've grown. She moved the plants from the garden into the greenhouse around October and they've thrived!
The lettuce she has in the greenhouse, which have been used throughout the winter, is actually Little Gem which was grown from seed in the summer. Instead of cutting off the whole head, she simply takes the leaves she wants and allows the plant to re-grow.
These can also be grown throughout the year, but are hardy enough to survive even this ridiculous Welsh weather.
Hoping that you are all safe and dry,
Ruth and her very distressed cat
x
