Shhh, The Greenhouse is Sleeping

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We are not the only ones complaining about how cold it's getting, these greenhouse occupants are trying to stay warm too and blankets are just the trick.  Last year Matt and I were introduced to this beautiful 1/2 acre greenhouse and now, one year later as crafty sophomores, we are looking to...

test our skills and build on our experience.

Each night, the greenhouse beds are blanketed with Reemay, which we also used a few weeks ago on the winter hoops out in the field.  These blankets help keep the beds warm as well as protect them from certain pests that may inhibit growth.  With Matt taking one side, The Captain the other and me in the middle, we started to bunch the Reemay together waking the veggies up for their day of sunlight, water, weeding and harvesting.

I forgot that getting my "greenhouse legs" is always a challenge.  Wire, attached at both ends, floats above the beds preventing the blankets from lying directly on the plants, which would restrict growth.

Not a bad first attempt of the year.

Our job was to tie up the blankets with these elastic ropes on every other pole along the greenhouse.  

Each cold night, these blankets will be laid back over the beds, not an easy task for one person that's for sure, but Sara somehow pulled it off.  Although the Reemay material is very thin and delicate, if handled properly, it can be used for a few seasons before needing to be replaced. 

As you can see, the greenhouse is full of variety.  Above, some fennel mixed with lettuce, on the left, some Swiss chard and greens and a diverse group of carrots in between.  One type of carrot I have never seen before is called Cosmic Purple and yes that means they are purple.  Very excited to see what that looks/tastes like.  We'll keep you posted and don't forget to enjoy your carrots now, this is my favorite season for them as they protect themselves from the cold and decrease in sunlight by chemically converting their starches to sugars.