Sunday, December 7, 2008

The Promise of Garlic

"Spring keeps her promises, no cold can keep her back."
- Natalie Merchant

I realize I never posted anything about getting our garlic into the ground in mid-October. But the sight of all the little garlic sprouts poking up above the first snow of the season this morning made me smile. For me, it's Spring's promise of good things to come, telling me to keep faith through the dark days of winter. Garlic doesn't mind the cold. Like any self-respecting bulb, it just hunkers down and waits for warm weather to resume where it left off in late fall.


It's far beyond time to get garlic into the ground in any part of the world that I'm familiar with, so I'll make a mental note to describe my garlic planting routine in detail next fall. Meanwhile, here are some more picture of my wintry garden.

A late groundfall apple dusted with snow - hint of color in a stark landscape



Icy patterns on the window of my hayframe


Critter tracks in wan morning sunlight


Pampas grass dusted with snow

Related posts:

Garlic Harvest
The Limits of Garlic

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I picked a carrot out of the (very cold) ground last week. Now that we've gotten snow I'm sure they've all gave up. I didn't know that garlic was such a hardy plant. I learn something new every day! :)

Kate said...

Jen, yes indeedy, it's a hardy bulb. You may have to look for the varieties of garlic suited to colder regions, but those varieties positively frolic in the snow. I love garlic. I only wish I'd known earlier how easy it is to grow. Just treat it right before you put it in the ground (prep the bed and mulch it), and it'll be a trouble-free crop for you.