I am just not getting into fall and winter gardening as much as I do spring and summer gardening. The weather hasn’t even been especially foul or cold, but being outside during this time of year goes against my natural hibernation instincts. Then there’s the fact I have never grown any of these plants before, so I have no idea if they are on track or too small. They seem to be growing so slowly, and they seem too small. Sorry, but I’m just not that interested in fall and winter gardening, and I think next year there will be a few months of no gardening at all when the chill air arrives.

All the same, I worked in the garden today. I didn’t intend to work in the garden, but I got out there and decided to pull up the old bean plants and chop down the basil. Once I had that done, I started in on working the soil and removing the weeds and old mulch that hadn’t decomposed. I probably wouldn’t have worked on that as long as I did, but Lin came out and started puttering around near the garden area. He’s such a bull in a china shop, I felt the need to keep an eye on him as he worked near my plants with things like extension cords and power blowers.

So Bed Two is finally ready to plant some lettuce and fennel. Totally the wrong time to do that, but I’m going to do it anyway. Maybe some more of the other winter plants too. Like more arugula. The first batch I planted is still tiny but already blooming, and I’m pretty sure it shouldn’t be doing that. Already in Bed two are three volunteer Black Seeded Simpson lettuce plants. There was only one, but today I found two more growing in my walkway between the beds, so I transplanted them into the bed. I also left one pepper plant that seems to still be producing peppers, as well as the one basil plant the last of the pole beans are growing on.

After Lin and I finished puttering in the garden area, it didn’t look nearly as depressing as it did when we started, but I still find it hard to care. Even the brightest sunny day during the winter doesn’t make me feel the same joy of being outside as a somewhat gloomy summer’s day. I’ll muddle through this year, but unless I get the most awesome harvest of broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and arugula, chances are high I will not be doing this again. I’ll just get started really early in the spring instead with things like peas and such.

But it was kind of nice being outside for a while today. Not wonderful, but nice … mostly because Lin was out there with me being his usual goofball self.