The 9°F disaster

Gardening in winter always means taking chances. The winter weather in Raleigh, NC is so fickle you can't ever tell what to expect.

So, you gamble (or not). I do and try a winter garden every year with very satisfying results most years.
Yes it means having to cover your crops on cold nights but, most years, it allows you to enjoy fresh greens from January on.

The 9°F (-13C), followed by 48 hours of freezing temps did not work so well for me this year.
This morning, knowing I won't have any frost for the next four days, I uncovered what can be best described as a disaster: escaroles and endives turned totally black and lettuce melted to the ground.

The optimist in me found a few plants that, within three to six weeks might regrow from their still seemingly green center. It'll take a while to be sure and, at this point in time, I am not sure we will not have as far as weather. Further freezing might just give them the coup de grace while they attempt to recover.

The beehives have quite a few dead bodies lying on the lower level but that could be fairly normal winter loss. Only an internal inspection would tell and it still is too cold to open them up.

One thing for sure is that I'll soon have to start some new seedling for a winter-spring tie-over I thought I had covered.

Those poor things sure don't look anything like the glorious banana jungle that used to cover this ground.