December Garden Update--Really

As you may remember, I'm conducting a complicated, scientific project in my greenhouse this winter. And by complicated I mean I planted stuff and am hoping for the best.

I am nothing if not cheap, so my heating system is water bottles, lots of water bottles, some covered with a black trash bag.  In theory, they hold warmth and since they are on the ground the heat rises.  I also have an automatic watering system made up of watering spikes and old soda bottles.  I go out every few days (in the dark, because I'm never home in the daylight) and switch out the bottles.  I haven't been able to check the temperature well with the flashlight, so I'm hoping to take a look during daylight this weekend. I would really like to have a solar-powered ceramic heater out there, but they are all expensive.  And a watering system, but that requires plumbing.  And maybe a greenhouse made out of something other than plastic sheeting...someday...someday..

Let's see...
Potatoes--fail.  I don't know if they froze or if my terrible potato growing skills just came through again, but, sigh...no potatoes from this round.  (Don't worry...I have a bunch in my pantry that are growing legs...I'll try again).  I put them on the top shelf of the greenhouse, you know, because heat rises, but apparently not so much. 
Although..when I went out today to plant the new ones, I harvested 3 (Three!) baby potatoes, even though the greenery above ground was dead!

Three tiny potatoes and two tiny onions...an exciting winter harvest!

Beets--optimistic--although they are on the middle shelf, I'm thinking this is working to their advantage and they are more protected.

Kale--it was kind of on its last legs when I put it in the greenhouse, and there's not much to harvest, but it's not dead, so I'm counting it as a win so far.

Onions-- ready to harvest

Mint--growing from the ground--dead.  Hmm.  I'm sure it will be back with a vengeance in the spring.

The Greenhouse and Garden 2017

I was going to wait until I had planted something, but I can write again later...
For Christmas, we were given a greenhouse. It has taken until now to reach agreement on where to set it up--but it is up!

I found a spot for it near the garden.  I need to get a thermometer for inside so I can figure out how warm it gets and stays in there so I can decide what to plant out there (vs inside in the little greenhouse).  I recently read a post-apocalyptic book in which the survivors grew kale because it did ok in cooler, darker temps, so I may try kale in the next couple weeks and see what happens--it depends on when I get organized I suppose!  We had some snow this week and it held up well, so I have high hopes for my little greenhouse!

BOGO!!! Cats?

The Boy pointed out that he hasn't even chosen a pet, since the original crew (MJ, Tigger, Indy) were all older than him, Alice belongs to The Girl and the dogs just kind of joined us.  I suggested he wait until he was an adult and get as many pets as he wanted, but it has been kind of weird with only Alice, the un-cat.  Mr. IM and The Boy got home early from skiing (because it was COLD) so we decided to go on a kitten search.  We really should know better, it is not kitten season for starters. However, we once again found ourselves at the Denver Dumb Friends League.  The Boy fell in love with a cat...who had a friend...ummmm...and then we discovered it was BOGO on cats (really?)....So the Suburban Ranch is now back to (full) capacity--2 adults, 2 kids, 3 cats, 2 dogs, and a whole bunch of fish. The cats will get their own posts soon--as soon as I can get a picture where they don't look freaked (it might be a while).  Both cats are over a year old--Obsidian (Sid) is about a year and Coco (Puff) is about 3 (if I remember right).  Sid was found wandering around an apartment complex (sound like anyone else we know)  and Coco was left in the pet drop off bin.  So far Sid and Alice met and are not happy, but Alice hates everyone, so I'm not worried.  Coco has settled into the "cat hole" (where kittens and old cats hide) in my closet.  

In other news, I assembled the greenhouse that we received for Christmas--it can have its own post as well, probably after the cats.  Time to get started on the garden!