Micro-Climates

I've found a very interesting area in our Orchard that has kept Winter at bay, while all around it lies dead. The Borage plants, which have died off in other parts of the garden, are still green and lush! This is a great find as once I remulch the Vetch that surrounds, I may be able to plant some annuals in the area and see if they survive next Winter.

A microclimate is a local atmospheric zone where the climate differs from the surrounding area. Microclimates may be quite small - a protected courtyard next to a building, for example, that is warmer than an exposed field nearby. Or a microclimate may be extensive - an area miles inland with warmer temperatures due to a large body of water nearby.

The area does not get Sun until around 11 AM in the Winter, and is close enough to the back wall which absorbs the afternoon sun's energy, heats up, and reradiates that heat to the area.

To the right is Borage in a more exposed area of the garden, which has succumbed to the frost. In fact, the only plants that have survived in this part of the garden are the Calendula and Sage! - MR

Harvesting Amaranth

It's true in our area, you need a killing frost before you can harvest Amaranth - though little grains may be possible to spill off in late Autumn, you will also see the tiny Lygus bugs that hang out in their leaves and flowers! So once the plant began to die off, I pulled off a number of flowers and saved them outside until it hit below 20... - MR