Happy Saturday to all! Once again, thank you, Natalie, for hosting #WeekendCoffeeShare each weekend.

How about one more garden update for 2025?

I’m trying to recall but I don’t think I’ve ever done a garden update in December, at least not the outdoor garden, because there’s hardly ever been an outdoor garden in December. An app on my phone shows me photos from years past and it’s been showing me photos of snow since mid-November, hence, no garden, but this year, there is a garden in December because it’s been so incredibly warm that the perennials and trees are refusing to go to sleep.

Here’s the raised beds in the front garden. I had to pull back the plastic this week to prevent all the vegetables from getting roasted in the 60-degree heat. Before you ask, with the sun beaming down on the plants, it can feel like 100-degrees beneath the covers.

But, look at all these! My mom wants me to give some away because we’re struggling to eat it all but at the same time, with the slow growth rate, I’m afraid it won’t last until the middle of February when the growing season begins again. It’s a true gardener’s dilemma but I think I’ll be selfish and keep it all to myself since I do need to make it last.

After promising to show the world my rain barrels, I think it’s time. Please excuse the tarp on top, I’m trying to prevent another rodent invasion by putting a tarp to prevent anything from getting into the barrels and from standing water on top of the barrels. The water will get into the barrel via the plastic hose at the side, as opposed of through the holes on top of the barrel. I want to maintain as closed as a system as I can to prevent mosquitoes and rodents.

So far, one is full and the other is about half-full. I think, at this point, I probably have around 60-70 gallon of water collected and will need to use some prior to the next storm so I don’t cause an overflow.

Last but not least, the back garden.

These plants are probably the most neglected plants in the entire garden. Still, they are alive and actually growing better than the plants I give my attention to. Like the burgundy broccoli plant that is still churning out broccoli florets. I planted this thing in spring and I’ve put shade cloth over it and neglected it throughout the summer. It has drip irrigation and I think it gave me a decent size head. Then in the middle of the summer, I chopped it almost to the ground but lo and behold, it came back like a monster. I think some plants just don’t want to go that easily.

I honestly did not think I would get daikon radishes this year. I’ve never had success with them, just as I’ve never had success with growing carrots. Surprise, the daikon actually came out okay this year and by okay, I mean straight and long. I’m just now slowly beginning to harvest these. It’s winter and daikons are perfect in stews.

Finally, more vegetables!

The back garden becomes not as productive as the front garden after the autumn solstice because even at its peak, the sun can’t reach the back garden as the house is in the way. So I’m surprised by the size of the vegetables in the towers and raised beds.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this garden update and hope this can chase the winter blues away for some of you. Have a wonderful week!