Apparently other than the weather, Texas gardeners don't have much to talk about, so I thought I'd introduce a subject that interest me: winter growing. The vegetables that I typically plant for the winter are: broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, snow/snap peas, and various greens - sometimes lettuce and parsley. My fall and winter gardens are more reliably successful than spring and summer. What is anyone else growing?

I planted garlic in late October. It started growing instantly, as usual. So far it's thriving. There were a few onions that were really small from harvesting last summer that started to sprout, so I planted them. About five of them. I'm expecting one cold spell that will eliminate the onions but so far they are growing well. Am hopeful the garlic makes it through any bad spells. So far, though, there have been no below freezing weather during daylight hours and the low here has only been down to 23F. More hours are being stacked together at night. Just have to wait and see what January and February bring. Still too dry here and the lake just keeps getting lower and lower, so rain would be be welcome.

Our winters are usually mild enough for all my standard choices to make it. I have even had tomatoes live and produce if allowed to sprawl on the ground. The last two winters, however, killed almost everything. If forecasts are reliable, we won't get a significant freeze this year. (Oh, no! It's about weather again.)

Outdoor plants and weather are inextricably linked together. They can't be separated. It'd be like hauling a car without wheels to the racetrack.

Good topic. This winter I had trouble finding the inspiration to plant because of the past summer and drought. It is still too dry and I need to water. Oh no ... more weather related, sorry.

We have always hosted New Year's Day dinner for friends and I have always had a salad with my own lettuce and spinach greens. This year I planted late so nothing fresh.

In the ground now are two types of lettuce, mustard, spinach, pak choi and radishes.

I had some Red Norland potatoes sprouting in the pantry so cut them and planted. The tops have sprouted. They will get bit back by frost but will continue to grow.

I also have garlic which is about six inches tall and multiplying onions. Also a pot of walking onions.

@needrain. I don't know what zone you would be in but both garlic and onions shake off frost and freezes with no protection in this zone. Even the lettuce and most greens will do the same.

I also have three black cherry tomatoes ripening in the greenhouse that should be ready to sample this week but that is cheating in the greenhouse.

I also hope to start tomato seeds for spring planting in the next few days.

I think my zone was changed to 8a a couple of years ago. Before that I was a zone 7. Trouble with the zone designation are the spells that aren't supposed to happen. I think for zones 6b-8b, those spells are perhaps not usual, but they aren't unheard of either. Seems like the "once in a hundred years" events are putting in appearances a lot more often now. This location has always been a bit unpredictable. I've seen the last freeze occur in early February and as late as the beginning of May. In the last 5 years records have been set for winter cold extremes, summer heat extremes, number of days without rain, more powerful tornadoes, and ice storms. Even native plants have taken a hit.

I have chives, rosemary, sage and a sad parsley which have been known to survive the winter months, but the last few winters have had a freeze event that took out the rosemary and parsley. I had onions going well last winter and the late, too cold freeze took them out, so I had to replant. The current few onions have been going for a few months now, so I'm curious if being planted sooner is going to help them. I've been wanting some multiplying onions for a while. Where did you obtain them? Or are they a pass along plant? We grew them when I was a kid, but I never see them anymore.

I bought mine as sets from a local feed store quite a few years ago. They did well for years but I've noticed the plants are dwindling. I think they need to be moved. If I dig them in the spring to move them, I will check with you to see if you had found some. If not, I will share.