The Polar Vortex they predicted is here in New England. It spans from North Dakota to Maine and as far south as parts of Virginia. Unless we are under a cover of snow however there are almost always garden chores that can be or need to be done throughout the winter. Today however I will sit inside, work on the garden plan and enjoy warm tea and a fire in the fireplace.

Just yesterday the temperatures outside were around 40 degrees. On days like that I try to take advantage of the day and get even just the smallest amount of anything done in the yard and garden. The later in the day it gets the temperatures drop quickly so taking full advantage is important becuase you never know what tomorrow will bring. The forcasts can change quickly and we have to adapt. One saying I always heard when I was younger was “New England, Don’t like the weather? Wait a minute.”

So what do you do when you have a pleasantly warm day at the end of January? Take advantage of the sunshine of course and check on a few things out in the garden. The compost piles were warm enough that I was able to turn them. We keep a couple of hay forks close to the compost bins so I’m not searching for them whenever I get out there and check on the compost heaps. My favorite one was gifted to me from a friend and it was her Dad’s. I’m sure it had many good years of use before it came to me and it shall have plenty more. Come spring we will sand and oil the wood handles. There will also be a new storage facility for my garden supplies as well. That will be shared in the spring when we convert the original chicken coop into my garden tool shed.

Our compost area it made up of recycled pallets. It is a three bin system so we are able to rotate through each one. It was a Dad and me, cost effective, eco-friendly project and it is a very efficient system. It took a few days to complete but we are incredibly happy with the results and are looking forward to the compost for our garden beds.

We also have a tumbler type composter closer to the house to use through the winter. This tumbler was a steal on a Black Friday sale. We put our daily scraps from the kitchen in this one and give it a few spins. I always try and make sure the sliding door is left on the up side after spinning. This prevents to compost from sitting on the back of the plastic doors and freezing it closed.

I was also able to quickly rake up some of the beds, pull up some spent plant stalks that hadn’t yet been cleaned up and turn some soil. Late February, if the soil is workable, I can start some planting. Vegetables such as peas, radishes, chards, spinach’s and other greens like cooler growing conditions and those colder temperatures make for tastier tidbits to add to your table.

Before I headed back into the house I picked some of the Kale I planted last spring. Yes I am still harvesting my Kale. The local deer have enjoyed the tops of some of them but I still have a number of plants to harvest from. Fences are big on the project list this year.  Hopefully to help keep the deer and wild rabbits out of the garden. Also one of our major projects that has been in the works for a while will be happening this spring and will allow us to harvest even more vegetables throughout the winter. I am looking forward to sharing that with you.