The Artichokes That I Divided Are Growing Already.

Bob Bauer

January 26, 2020 (Last Updated: April 04, 2023) | Reading Time: 2 minutes

Artichokes are a fun and easy to grow plant.

January 26, 2020

The artichokes that I divided are growing already. The leaves are spreading out and the plants are getting taller. I didn't think they would do anything until spring when I would find out if they survived or not, but one of them already has a choke forming. They seem to like the cold and wet but I've heard they can't tolerate standing water. Come to think of it I don't know of any plants that tolerate standing water except rice..

If I had been dividing the artichokes as recommended my garden would be full of them. I'll have to learn to just compost them. I even replanted a chard that I had to pull up to make way for the peas. Like I don't have enough swiss chard volunteers coming up everywhere..

January 27, 2020

The sun came out for a couple of hours yesterday and the warm temperatures and bright sunlight got me in the spring planting mood. I prepped the raised bed next to the greenhouse for February 5th spinach planting. I weeded it, turned it to a depth of three inches with my garden fork, raked it smooth, and even made two furrows 8' apart in it. Then I bent two of my wire tunnels to make them wide enough to cover a double row..

I could cover them with clear plastic and plant now, but watching them germinate and grow is so much more enjoyable when you don't have to keep peeking under the plastic. Nighttime temps are in the forecast at mid to high thirties for the next week so I've moved my spring veggie tray out to the greenhouse. Let the gardening begin..

January 28, 2020

The sunshine on the smooth reddish-orange madrone branches makes them look like they glow. It's like reflected and refracted light contribute to a fluorescent appearance. The sunlight also brings out the reds in all the browns. Suddenly the world is full of color. It's three dimensional again because the shadows are back..

Water droplets sparkle and plants are bright greens. The increase of photons on our retina seems to signal positive activity in the brain, and we feel like we are moving toward joyful encounters. And indeed we are. Spring is fast approaching, our hibernation is soon over, and new discoveries are just waiting to impress us..

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