TWO STEPS FORWARD..... ONE STEP BACK!

Two steps forward... all beds uncovered and tomatoes in their cages ready for summer

As depicted in the image above, we began removing the walls of water from the first of our three tomato beds and installed the tower supports.  Fortunately we did not have time to run strings yet as another freeze is predicted for the coming week! Consequently, we re-winterized the garden.  This entailed removing the newly erected towers and covering this bed with double layers of frost cloth.  We also needed to cover the three beds of chili pepper plants fortunately, that was easily done.  

Next step, how to cover the remaining tomato beds?  We wanted to leave up the insulating walls of water but since the tomatoes were taller than the walls, and the stakes were taller than the usual bed covers, we had to be creative. 

pepper beds covered in the background.....covering tomato stakes so they won't rip the frost cloth

pulling in the stakes so they fit under the new covers

the awkward but effective finished product

Finally we wanted to harvest greens.  Even though the lettuces, chard, kale and spinach are quite cold hardy, they were due for another harvest.  With four nights predicted to be below freezing and as many days forecast to be cold and blustery, it would be a while before we could get to this if not done now.  The result was an abundant harvest with enough to share with friends.

harvesting chard

 

 

bountiful harvest of three types of kale, spinach and chard

We also realized there were some eggplant and chili plants scattered about so those needed walls of water erected around them.  Fingers crossed we won't actually get the predicted hard freeze.  Our grapevines, redbuds and Japanese maples are just now beginning to recover from the last freeze just under a month ago!

......and one step back - new walls of water and everything perishable covered with frost cloth

a wintery garden overview