My Vegetable Greenhouse in Winter
My outdoor vegetable gardens may still be covered with snow and ice, but I'm fortunate that I have vegetables growing beautifully in a special greenhouse tucked behind my Equipment Barn.
Its design was inspired by Eliot Coleman, an expert of four-season farming. My gardeners, Ryan McCallister and Brian O'Kelly, have been doing a fine job with succession planting and keeping the produce coming. I'm always so happy to share the bounties with family and friends. Very little goes to waste as these vegetables taste so pure and delicious to eat - it's gratifying to have fresh, organic produce available even in winter.
Enjoy these photos.
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- Whenever I have time, it’s always so nice to walk into the vegetable greenhouse to see all the organic produce growing in the beds. We do a lot of prep work to get these beds ready. This year, I decided to use compost-based potting soil mix from the Vermont Compost Company in Montpelier, Vermont. This soil is specifically developed for organic gardening. It is a germination and growing mix often used for soil blocks – this is called Fort Vee potting mix. I am so happy with how it works.
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- The entire greenhouse is filled with windows. Most of the energy comes from the sun through these giant windows, which can be programmed to open for ventilation or cooling when needed.
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- The ideal temperature inside the greenhouse is around 85-degrees Fahrenheit to keep all the vegetables growing their best. We have a large thermometer at the entrance to the structure, so the temperature can be checked easily several times a day.
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- Look at all the full beds of fresh, organic produce. We built 16 of these wooden garden boxes to fit the entire length and width of the space. Raised bed gardening allows good drainage, prevents soil compaction, and provides protection for those plants that may otherwise get trampled.
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- This bed has a newer, younger crop – we always plant in succession, so there is always something growing in the greenhouse. Succession planting is a practice of seeding crops at intervals of seven to 21 days in order to maintain a consistent supply of harvestable produce throughout the season. This dramatically increases a garden’s yield, while also improving produce quality.
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- The gorgeous Swiss chard stalk colors can be seen through the leaves. They are so vibrant with stems of yellow, red, rose, gold, and white. Chard has very nutritious leaves making it a popular addition to healthful diets.
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- Here are some of the bright red Swiss chard stems. The most common method for picking is to cut off the outer leaves about two inches above the ground while they are young, tender, and about eight to 12 inches long. Here, one can see where a leaf was cut during the last harvest.
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- Kale is related to cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, and Brussels sprouts. There are many different types of kale – the leaves can be green or purple in color, and have either smooth or curly shapes.
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- Arugula is a lesser known cruciferous vegetable that provides many of the same benefits as other vegetables of the same family. Arugula leaves, also known as rocket or roquette, are tender and bite-sized with a tangy flavor.
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- Look at the beautiful heads of lettuce. I always grow lots of varieties of lettuce, so I can share them with my daughter and her children. This is ‘Red Cross’ – it has large, fancy, bright heads that are suitable for spring, summer, and fall outdoor crops.
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- Lettuce is most often used for salads, although it is also seen in other kinds of dishes, such as soups, sandwiches and wraps; it can also be grilled.
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- Butter lettuce is a type of lettuce that includes Bibb lettuce and Boston lettuce. It’s known for loose, round-shaped heads of tender, sweet leaves and a mild flavor.
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- The frilly fronds of frisee are bitter with a bit of crunch, which adds dimension and texture to both salads and sandwiches.
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- Parsley is a flowering plant native to the Mediterranean. It derives its name from the Greek word meaning “rock celery.” It is a biennial plant that will return to the garden year after year once it is established.
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- Parsley ‘Moss Curled’ is a bushy biennial forming a dense rosette of rich green, deeply-cut, tightly-curled, aromatic leaves.
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- Endives are vegetables belonging to the genus Cichorium. Species include Cichorium endivia, Cichorium pumilum, and Cichorium intybus. Common chicory includes types such as radicchio, puntarelle, and Belgian endive.
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- In this bed – beets, waiting to be picked. Beets are sweet and tender – and one of the healthiest foods. Beets contain a unique source of phytonutrients called betalains, which provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and detoxification support.
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- We harvest a lot of spinach all year long for my green juice, which I have every morning. Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, and a good source of manganese, magnesium, iron and vitamin B2. This is ‘Bloomdale’ – a large, spreading spinach with meaty, dark-green leaves and a rich, nutty flavor.
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- Here’s more spinach – so lush and green. I make it a point to plant what I like best and what I will use most, so there is never any waste from the gardens.
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- I am so pleased with my vegetable greenhouse this year. Soon, we will be working on the outdoor beds, but for now, I am so fortunate to have this greenhouse where I can harvest flavorful and healthy produce all winter long.
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