Freezing fog has kept the area chilly, with few sun breaks, sometimes only an hour before dusk. Still, it is easier maneuvering through the garden than in pouring rain. It appears the kale survived the earlier arctic wave without protection…hooray! Not that it is actually doing anything except sitting in limbo. The soil temperature (at 3-inch depth) is still hovering between 38 and 40°. Brrrr…
Christmas has brought us a lovely break in this monotony, with the sun breaking through by mid-morning; nippy day, with only 7 degrees difference between the high and low temperatures, but the radiance was welcomed by many.
A circus of birds paraded through the yard at times: a swarm of bushtits, a couple of goldfinches, chickadees, and yellow-rumped warblers, plus the usual raucous starlings. The two resident hummingbirds were squeaking away merrily, zipping in to feed when the other wasn’t looking.
A new gift “for the garden” is a heat mat for growing seedlings. It will fit perfectly in my kitchen garden window. Now I can grow some chanterai (mini-canteloupes) and margarita melons. Now to redesign the bed…..
Solstice greetings! It's sleepy time for the garden. Where's Juniper?
High Vibe Bounty 
I was intrigued by your garden project, seeing as how I’ve been toying for years with doing a similar thing to my front lawn. Always the thought…what will the neighbors think? I’ve already converted about 1/3 to flowers, with some veggies to be moved out this spring (squash and zucchini to try to keep the squash bugs at bay by continually moving the squash. Maybe you will give me an incentive to move more than just the squash! Your garden looks so neat…mine always tends to get a little overgrown because I don’t have the heart to thin out all those volunteers! Keep up the good work and documentation. You’re a true scientist!
Good to hear from you, P. I know how you’re feeling with regards to “the neighbors,” and I still do any designing with curb appeal in mind. But, you might be surprised how many neighbors (often you didn’t expect) won’t really mind. I’d say go full swing on the conversion, but, yes, sometimes little stages help. I get too impatient with little steps sometimes, wanting the process completed, if I have the time and resources. I know you would be great at arranging the veggie garden! Too bad we’re not neighbors, and then we could really expand one garden to two. Cheers, A.