Garden Friday

Last week was a bit brutal.
Temperatures every night were in the teens,
and although we were cozy in our heated nest,
the garden had to tough it out.
I covered as best I could with sheets
and overturned pots.

Earlier this week, it warmed up considerably,
so everything was uncovered to let the sun shine in.
There were really no expectations,
not being too familiar with growing during these type of winter conditions.
Here is what I found after the unveiling.

The carrots couldn't have cared less about the frigid temperatures.
They looked just the same as when they were first covered.

The Vates kale looked pretty good,
although the sun seemed a welcome sight.
The Dino kale didn't look quite as perky,
but it may still bounce back just fine.

The broccoli looks weathered, 
but I have a feeling it was more due to thirst than cold.
I had neglected to water everything before the freeze hit.

Here's our bucket-o-leeks doing fine and dandy.

And, amazingly,the shallots seemed untouched by the bitter weather.

The Brussels Sprouts weren't standing quite as tall as they should be,
but with some adequate sunshine and a good, long drink,
they may be able to continue to produce.

Several broccoli seedlings didn't seem to know what hit them.
I'll keep an eye on them and see if they recover.

The biggest disappointment was the beets.
The tops looked damaged beyond repair,
but since these are root veggies,
they may be perfectly fine under the soil.

One more check on the parsley (planted in the ground)
left me dumbfounded!
It appears there is absolutely no freeze damage at all!
That's one hearty herb!

This week has been a welcome respite from the extreme cold.
We've had more sunny days than not,
and the garden will surely eat it up!
We may be back to some colder days in the coming week,
so I will make sure to give everything a good watering
before they go undercover again to wait out the cold.

How is your winter garden faring?