A winter garden…in Minnesota? It’s madness, I know. What am I even thinking? I don’t know exactly, but I have been reading about people creating winter gardens in places that are sortof similar in climate as the great Northern Tundra, and they’ve had success. Okay, partial success. But hey, I count that as a victory. And I’m just now learning about how certain vegetables benefit from a good freeze, and become sweeter and tastier because of it. That tends to be the opposite of what happens to me after a good freeze (can’t really speak to the “tastier” description, but I know I ain’t any sweeter in disposition!). So I am going to give it a try.

The problem really lies in the execution. See, I tend to be a person who has great confidence in my abilities. There are very few things I am sure I cannot do; most things tend to fall into the category of the achievable. Call me an optimist, call me go-getter, but I’m usually pretty game to take things on without a fear of failure. This can be endearing, or super irritating, since I seem unaware of my own limitations and usually tend to downplay the limitations of others. Want to drive across the country and find jobs once we get out there? Sure thing! Wanna try to go indoor rock climbing and hook up your own gear without the help of a trained staff person? Yeah, I think I could do that. Feel like taking a run-down car to a friend’s cabin for the first time late at night? I bet we can find that without any trouble! And what happens in these situations? You get across the country and can’t find a good job so end up working at IHOP, the trained staff person comes over and gives you a lecture on climbing safety and shows you that you would have fallen to your doom if she hadn’t stopped you, you can’t find the cabin and the brakes of your old car go out on the way home!

But these are the things that seem to be the exception to the rule, at least in my mind. It was just so strange that they worked out that way! Hmm. So a winter garden I shall have, doggone it, even if I end up eating shriveled spinach and garlic until spring.