My outdoor garden beds are cleared, cleaned, and ready for winter, but fresh, delicious vegetables are growing beautifully indoors - in a special greenhouse I had constructed several years ago that was inspired by Eliot Coleman, an expert in four-season farming.
Here at my farm, we practice succession planting - the process of seeding crops at intervals of seven to 21 days in order to maintain a consistent supply of harvestable vegetables throughout the season. My gardeners, Ryan and Brian, began planting in the greenhouse earlier this fall, and over the last few weeks, we’ve seen wonderful crops of beautiful organic produce emerge.
Enjoy these photos.
During the colder months here in the Northeast, it’s so nice to go inside my vegetable greenhouse. It is located near my Equipment Barn next to the Hay Barn and Tropical Hoop House. This structure uses minimal artificial heat, where many cold hardy crops and other greens can be grown and harvested through the winter. Some beds look more full than others. The beds are planted at different times as part of succession planting.
Most of the energy in the greenhouse comes from the sun through these giant windows, which can be programmed to open for ventilation or cooling, when needed.
Inside the head house, we always keep a number of our favorite seeds. Many are from Johnny’s Selected Seeds, but we also love to use seeds from Seed Savers Exchange, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Vilmorin, a French seed producer, and others. I am always on the lookout for different seeds when I travel, but seeds are also widely available online and at garden centers. Ryan keeps track of what seeds do well at the farm – indoors and out.
I love fresh lettuce. It’s a real treat to have lettuce like this all year long. I share it with my daughter and grandchildren, as well as friends and those who work here at my farm. And of course, I enjoy it for my own lunches and dinners when I am home.
These lettuce heads are ready for harvesting. A handful are picked, so I can take them to my daughter’s later in the day.
These lettuces are younger and need a little more time, but look how beautiful they are – these lettuces love the greenhouse.
My gardeners keep a good eye on this vegetable greenhouse – temperatures are monitored and the beds are kept clean and weed-free. Here is one side cultivated and ready to plant more lettuce seeds.
We do a lot of prep work to get the beds ready. In this greenhouse we use a compost-based potting soil mix from the Vermont Compost Company in Montpelier, Vermont. This soil is specifically developed for organic gardening called Fort Vee potting mix. Ryan uses a hoe to make the furrows for the seeds. The furrows don’t have to be deep. In general, seeds should be planted at a depth of two times the width, or diameter, of the seed. A seed that’s about 1/16-of-an-inch thick should be planted an eighth-of-an-inch deep.
These are pelleted, or coated, lettuces seeds. Pellets make seed handling easier for small-seeded crops such as lettuce, carrots, and some flowers.
Ryan drops the seeds about two inches apart in the furrow of the raised bed. Raised bed gardening allows good drainage, prevents soil compaction, and provides protection for those plants that may otherwise get trampled. My raised beds were designed for easy reach from all sides.
Do you know what this is? If you said daikon, you’re correct. Daikon or mooli, Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus, is a mild-flavored winter radish usually characterized by fast-growing leaves and a long, white, napiform root. Compared to other radishes, daikon is milder in flavor and less peppery. And, when served raw, it has a crisp and juicy texture.
These are scallions. Scallions have a milder taste than most onions. Close relatives include garlic, shallot, leek, chive, and Chinese onions. Growing scallions is actually easier than growing onions since they have a much shorter growth period. Varieties sown in spring can be harvested just 60 to 80 days after planting or when transplants reach about a foot tall.
In between the scallions and the mature daikon, Ryan carefully drops more daikon radish seeds. This variety, ‘KN-Bravo’, features sweet-flavored, attractive purple roots. The internal color ranges from pale purple to white with purple streaks. It adds beautiful color to kimchi or fresh salads.
The seeds are very small now – it’s hard to believe these tiny seeds produce such beautiful vegetables within weeks.
I also grow a lot of spinach. Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, and a good source of manganese, magnesium, iron and vitamin B2. We use a lot of spinach at the farm for my daily green juice.
New Zealand spinach is a trailing plant that forms a mat of triangular soft fleshy foliage. It is not the same as true spinach, in fact the two plants are not related but can be used fresh or cooked in the same way.
This is a beautiful head of radicchio – a perennial cultivated form of leaf chicory sometimes known as Italian chicory. It is grown as a leaf vegetable. Radicchio has a bitter and spicy taste which mellows if it is grilled or roasted.
Other vegetables already growing in this greenhouse include the Swiss chard. Swiss chard colors are so vibrant with stems of white, red, yellow, rose, and gold. Chard has very nutritious leaves making it a popular addition to healthful diets. The most common method for picking is to cut off the outer leaves about two inches above the ground while they are young, tender, and about eight to 12 inches long.
Kale is related to cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, and Brussels sprouts. There are many different types of kale – the leaves can be green or purple in color, and have either smooth or curly shapes.
These are the baby leaves of Arugula. Arugula is a lesser known cruciferous vegetable that provides many of the same benefits as other vegetables of the same family. Arugula leaves, also known as rocket or roquette, are tender and bite-sized with a tangy flavor.
Here’s our bed of parsley. Parsley is a flowering plant native to the Mediterranean. It derives its name from the Greek word meaning “rock celery.” It is a biennial plant that will return to the garden year after year once it is established.
Cilantro, Coriandrum sativum, is also known commonly as coriander or Chinese parsley. Coriander is actually the dried seed of cilantro. Cilantro is a popular micro-green garnish that complements meat, fish, poultry, noodle dishes, and soups. Everyone here at the farm loves the cilantro, but some don’t. Do you know… some even say it tastes like soap. For those, the issue is genetic. These people have a variation in a group of olfactory-receptor genes that allows them to strongly perceive the soapy-flavored aldehydes in cilantro leaves. Among those who strongly dislike cilantro – the late Chef Julia Child.
Pronounced bee-KEE-nyo, the name of this pepper from Brazil means “little beak,” and adds great flavor to many dishes. The bright one inch pods taper to a point like an inverted teardrop. The pepper has the distinctive smoky flavor like other members of this species, but also a rich fruitiness that is enhanced by sugar or sweet-and-sour marinades. It also makes the perfect garnish for barbecues and pickles. My family loves these peppers. I pickle them every year. I am so glad they are thriving indoors.
In this bed – growing beets. Beets are sweet and tender – and one of the healthiest foods. Beets contain a unique source of phytonutrients called betalains, which provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and detoxification support.
I am so pleased with my vegetable greenhouse this year. We’re looking forward to a winter filled with bountiful harvests – there’s nothing quite like the taste of fresh organic vegetables from one’s own garden.
One doesn't have to wait until spring to enjoy the beauty of springtime blooms - just force some bulbs indoors.
Forcing is the process of speeding up a bulb’s development by simulating the conditions of winter and spring - it's a way of fooling Mother Nature and tricking the bulb to bloom before its time. Hyacinths are excellent for this technique as their flowers are both attractive and fragrant. The bulbs can be forced in either water or soil - we are using both methods here at my Bedford, New York farm. Over the weekend, I started forcing some in water right in my kitchen. Yesterday, my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, planted bulbs in three separate containers filled with soil and sand. The hyacinth bulbs are from Colorblends Flowerbulbs - a third generation wholesale flower merchant in nearby Bridgeport, Connecticut. I can’t wait to see these beautiful flowers open.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
I am forcing a collection of bulbs in my Winter House. These are on my porch where it is cool – no soil needed. Each bulb is placed into a glass set just above lightly touching the water.
These bulbs are in my kitchen. Look closely at these special forcing vases. They have a wide base to contain the water and roots and a narrow neck to hold the bulb so it doesn’t sit in the water. They will need to root for eight to 13-weeks in indirect light.
Hyacinthus is a small genus of bulbous, spring-blooming perennials. They are fragrant flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae and are commonly called hyacinths. These bulbs are ‘Yellowstone’ hyacinths.
When in bloom, ‘Yellowstone’ shows off a butter yellow color that fades to shades of cream as the flowers age. (Photo courtesy of Colorblends)
We also have this variety – Hyacinth ‘Etouffee’. When looking for bulbs to force, be sure they are dense and heavy and free from mold, mildew, discoloration, or a peeling outer shell. The larger the flower bulb is, the bigger the bloom will be. These are all in excellent condition.
‘Etouffee’ produces a mélange of hyacinth pastel shades of pink and blue with a sweet scent. Aside from hyacinths, other bulbs to force indoors include daffodils, tulips, crocus, scilla, dwarf irises, amaryllis, and anemones. (Photo courtesy of Colorblends)
When forcing bulbs in soil, first be sure any drainage holes at the bottom of the pot are closed. We save all the shards of broken clay pots for this purpose. Hyacinths look best in shallow containers about four to six inches deep.
Ryan uses a professional medium-weight, medium-coarse textured growing medium that includes a combination of coarse textured, processed southern pine bark, sphagnum peat moss and vermiculite.
Ryan fills the container half way up with soil and then adds sand. Sand adds air space to a potting mix for more drainage. Because it is heavier than other ingredients, sand is a good choice for top-heavy plants that might tip over.
Ryan mixes the soil and sand together and makes sure the container is filled almost to the rim.
Look who is watching from the window. The peafowl love coming up to the greenhouse – they are very curious and very observant birds. And don’t worry, they don’t bother Blackie, our greenhouse kitty, one bit.
And then one by one, Ryan places the bulbs on top of the soil, point up, next to one another. The necks of the bulbs should be level with the rim of the pot.
Here is a closer look at the bulb – it is clear which end should be faced up. Each hyacinth bulb generally produces one flower stalk that stands eight to 10-inches tall.
Sometimes the bulb will multiply. These bulbils or bulb offsets likely won’t flower, but they will create leaves.
Ryan gently pushes each bulb down into the sandy soil mix. These bulbs will help hold one another upright and provide maximum bloom.
Next, Ryan weighs down the bulbs with a layer of pebbles or small stones, leaving the tips and necks of the bulbs exposed.
For the ‘Etouffee’ bulbs, Ryan chooses a long, shallow faux bois planter and tests how many will fit inside. Hyacinths look best when the bulbs are positioned about one to two inches apart.
Ryan places some bigger river stones at the bottom to help with soil drainage.
Then he fills the rest of the container with the sandy soil mix.
And once again, Ryan positions each bulb closely to the next, filling the container.
And then he adds the same gravel around the bulbs. I like to use natural pebbles, such as pea stone or gravel from the driveway. Just be sure it is well-cleaned before placing in the container.
Here is another faux boix container potted up with another six ‘Etouffee’ bulbs. This pot is also shallow – about six inches deep. Once planted, Ryan also gives each pot a good drink.
The bulbs will stay in a dimly lit part of a greenhouse until they begin to grow. Then they’ll be moved to a sunnier location until they begin to open. And forcing needs patience – it can take as long as 13 weeks for the bulbs to come into flower. I’ll be sure to share photos.
And here are our peacocks and peahens resting on the ledge outside the head house. Peafowl are quite loyal and tend to stay where they are well-fed and well-protected. These birds will be guided back down to their coop as night falls.
Cold, damp, late autumn days are the best times for indoor chores such as grooming the many plants in my greenhouse - especially my large collection of begonias.
I have been collecting begonias for many years. With their bold, beautiful foliage and delicate flowers, it’s hard to resist such an amazing family of plants. The genus begonia contains about 1500 different plant species and hundreds of hybrids. They are native to tropical and subtropical climates, so many specimens are kept indoors as ornamental houseplants. Rhizomatous begonias are grown for their interesting and spectacular leaves. They come in many sizes, colors and textures, and can be small or large, smooth or veiny, decorated in bold accents of red, copper and silver or subtle shades of green. Last week, my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, carefully inspected each plant, trimming any dead or discolored leaves and stems, and removing any crisscrossing canes. Regular maintenance keeps the plants full and in excellent condition.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
My growing collection of begonias is one of the first you see when entering my main greenhouse. I keep my begonias on a long, sliding table, so each plant is within easy reach.
Some of these begonias were purchased from various nurseries over the years, but many were also grown from leaf cuttings right here in my greenhouse. On this day, Ryan tended the many potted plants. When entertaining, I often bring a selection of begonias inside – all my guests love to see the different varieties, but most of the time, the plants live here, where they can be looked after regularly and maintained in a temperature and humidity-controlled space.
Using sharp snips, Ryan gives the plants a slight pruning to encourage new growth and aeration. Any viable leaves that are trimmed or fall off are always saved for future rooting purposes. Begonia leaves root easily – just push its stem into potting soil, and keep it moist. After a few weeks, new leaves emerge.
Rhizomatous begonias range from small, delicate plants with one-inch wide leaves to large, robust specimens with 12-inch wide leaves or more. Here is one with chocolate and green colored leaves.
All begonias have oval-shaped leaves that can be spade-like with a pointed tip in some varieties. The leaves grow from the main stem in an “alternate” structure. This means they never grow opposite one another, but instead, each individual leaf emerges slightly higher on the stem than the previous one.
This is Begonia ‘soli-mutata’. It is a compact medium-sized species from Brazil. The heart-shaped leaf colors vary depending on its exposure to bright light, which is why its common name is Sun Tan Begonia. Several of my ‘soli-mutata’ plants were grown from leaf cuttings off one parent plant.
This begonia has reddish leaves with dark brown markings along its veins.
Begonias grow best in light, well-drained soil. And any good quality light potting mix will work well.
Here is a bright orange begonia with bright yellow-white veining. Begonias should be fed a general purpose fertilizer every other week during spring and summer.
Because these plants store water in the rhizomes, which are their thick, fuzzy stems, it is important not to overwater them. Only water these plants when the top one-inch of soil feels dry.
The stems of the begonia carolineifolia are exceptionally thick, and show the scars of felled leaves. As a houseplant, the begonia carolineifolia is highly decorative and easy to grow.
Begonias dislike wet feet. Between waterings, let the soil dry out slightly. And for the best results, place pots in a warm room with bright indirect light.
Begonias are considered cool temperature plants and do best in temperatures ranging from 58 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit.
Begonia ‘Royal Lustre’ has small silvery green leaves with tones of green. Upon close inspection, you can see the small hairs that line the leaf margins.
I am always on the lookout for rare and unusual varieties. This one has curled leaves with shades of green on the top and a bold red on the undersides.
Wherever Ryan is, Blackie is always nearby. Here he is on the table watching all the plant grooming.
It’s good to repot or change the soil of a begonia every couple of years – potting mix elements break down over time and lose draining qualities and airspaces to hold oxygen.
Here’s another gorgeous specimen – this one with bright green leaves splattered with maroon markings.
Begonias are remarkably resistant to pests primarily because their leaves are rich in oxalic acid – a natural insect repellent.
This begonia has fleshy greenish-silver leaves that become thick and waxy during winter.
There is no end to the variety of leaf shape, color and texture in the begonia. Begonias make wonderful year-round houseplants. My collection of begonias continues to grow. I hope you are inspired to get one for your windowsill.
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