Pictures with the New Camera

I got a new camera, so I took it out to play with it today.

I love winter gardening.  Everything grows so much slower, 

so it's easier to keep up with.  The bugs move slower, too.  Love that.
You don't have to kill yourself watering so much, and it's hard to
get heat stroke working in a winter garden.
Everything is just much more forgiving.

Got the onions planted.  Last year the Texas Early Whites kicked butt in the
keeper category.  They lasted 'til November before they started sprouting.
All the rest long since had.  So I definitely planted more of them.  

And since there's no such thing as a bad onion, I had to plant some of all
the others, too.  There are few things better than a red onion
pulled fresh from the ground.  I love to eat them with mayo and bacon.
My own version of a BLT - a BOM.

Pretty purple Brussels sprouts with Swiss chard, kale, kohlrabi,
and little ol' leeks in the front corner.

Sprouts are hard to grow in Texas.  They're really new "branches" or "heads"
of the plant growing on the sides of the stalk, so need a long, stable cold
period to grow without wanting to open up their little leaves.  Mine are already
starting to open, probably because it was 82 degrees the other day.
But since the entire plant is edible (and I love them the most),
I think they're worth a spot in the garden.  

Purple, red and blue colors in fruits and vegetables are from anthocyanins.
While they are antioxidants, it hasn't been proven that they actually do us
any good.  I disagree.  Since seeing so much purple in my garden
and then on my plate makes me deliriously happy
- because PURPLE! -
I claim it DOES do me a lot of good.

Collards in the front.  Time to make a mess of them.  Mama was from Jackson, Mississippi, so I come by my love of them honestly.

Cauliflower and Romanesco, just starting to head up.
See how the leaves in the center are all pursed together like they're
puckering up for a kiss?  There's your sign.

More kale.  The one on the right is one of my favorites - Red Russian.

Dino Kale, aka Lacinato or Nero Tuscano.  

Makes some badass kale chips.

Hon Tsai Tai sprouting broccoli.  I want to harvest some, 

but the bees are loving it so much I'd feel guilty.

But maybe there's enough for me, too.

And the artichokes.  I need to fertilize them and give them some compost.

I've really neglected them, but they keep giving me 'chokes every year anyway.

Not bad for a glorified weed.  A thistle.

Pretty, giant, yummy thistles.

It's so interesting how the same type and cultivar of plants can have such
different leaves.  Georgia collards do that, too.

Mmmmmm, dinner.  I ate it up with some butter and chicken

fried up in my cast iron skillet.

Nomnomnomnomnom.