Yellowhawk Creek Gardens

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant."                                      Anne Bradstreet

Snow Surrounds
Yellowhawk Creek

We live in the beautiful northwest.  Our zone 7 garden experiences all four seasons - one of the reasons we love living here!!

This winter brought about 10 inches of snow. Not nearly what other parts of the country are experiencing - but enough to make us long for spring.

Last Thanksgiving I decided to experiment with some winter gardening.  My thrifty husband found this cold frame at a local discount store for $10.  I wasn't all that fond of it until we discovered it had self-opening hinges. When the weather reaches about 45 degrees, the lids open automatically and then close when the temperature drops.  Pretty fancy! So, we planted several short rows of of lettuce and spinach and patiently waited.

We've had just enough sun-filled days since Thanksgiving to give these greens the warmth they need to sprout and start growing.  We're be looking forward to an early spring crop!

I spent the winter reading Niki Jabbour's book "The Year Round Vegetable Gardner" (a Christmas gift from my son!) I read the book from cover to cover (a first, as I'm usually a 'skimmer').  What a great gardening book!  Although I can't wait for Spring to arrive, I must admit that I am also anxiously awaiting late Fall so I can experiment some more with preparing the garden for winter's bounty!

Although the snow here has melted and the weather predictions call for warmer temperatures this week, it was nice to have Mother Nature bless us with a bit of snow to remind us that every season has a purpose.