several varieties of leaf lettuce , spinach , arugula , chives , and radishes will keep you with fresh salads during the colder months , and serial plantings can provide harvests into spring or summer . You can also grow carrots , but be patient — they take a while to germinate and mature ; however , they can be eaten at any size , and they will thrive into the spring and summer . If you have more ambition , Swiss chard and kale are good producers ; however , they need lots of room .
Start now : planting begins in the fall , and seeds may be harder to find in stores , once the traditional garden season is over , though you can still order online . The Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County website is your first source for all things gardening ( mgsantaclara . ucanr . edu ). On their website search for vegetable planting charts , warm and cool vegetables , cool season vegetables , and winter ’ s bounty . Sunset Magazine also provides an excellent resource for winter gardening ( sunset . com / garden / fruits-veggies / winter-greens-planting-plan # keyhole-garden-layout ). And treehugger . com has a page for constructing low tunnels .
Plants grow slowly during the cooler months , so be patient . Even if you ’ ve missed the ideal planting month , try anyway . It will only cost you a pack of seeds and a little time .
Fresh-from-the garden veggies in the winter garden are worth pursuing . If Eliot Coleman gets a four-season harvest in Maine , we can easily do the same in California .
Happy gardening !
Craig Lore , avid gardener and writer
gmhtoday . com gmhTODAY Magazine FALL 2021 69