Winter Has Finally Arrived, End of the 2009 Garden Season

Well, the warm November weather is now but a memory as the first hard freeze hit the garden about 4 days ago.  Low temperatures dropped to around 15 degrees for two nights in a row and the high temperatures struggled to get above freezing.  This morning, the garden was blanketed by the season’s first measurable snowfall of about 1 inch.  The last 5 remaining cabbages were harvested on December 3rd, a day before the really cold weather set in.  Also on December 3rd, I harvested most of the remaining brussels sprouts and a little bit more lettuce.  The last of the lettuce will remain under the plastic hoop for the rest of the winter in hopes of an early spring harvest from the remaining plants.  There were still a few carrots in the garden, which were dug up today.  The last of the fall broccoli and cauliflower was happily eaten over the weekend.  My 2009 gardening season has now come an end :-(   I still have fresh garden cabbage, brussels sprouts, and some lettuce left in the refrigerator.   Overall, my 2009 gardening season was successful and I am already looking forward to the 2010 gardening season.