GARDEN UPDATE, NOV. 2004:

The overwintering crops I planted on Halloween have all germinated by now. The winter rye grass started coming up around November 15, followed by its companion cover crop, hairy vetch, a week later. And a few days ago, the fava bean shoots poked their way through the increasingly heavy, wet soil. They're amazing -- even if it freezes next week, they'll be fine, and keep growing very slowly until March, when they really start to take off. Then it's fresh favas in late April/early May, depending on how warm the spring turns out to be. But how to survive without them until then? Answers shortly . . .