Garden Pics -- Major Snowstorm, and Cold Frames Update

We had a snowstorm on March 1/2 -- got about 7 1/2 inches at my house. It's been a few years since we got this much snow. I was able to work from home that day, and enjoyed watching the birds at the feeder, including three different kinds of woodpecker: downy, redheaded, and hairy. I think I've seen a pileated woodpecker in the woods, but haven't seen one at our feeder yet.
Anyway...


The cold frames are a mixed success. The artichokes rotted out, but the leeks, onions, beets, cabbage, spinach, and lettuce I planted in the fall survived pretty well. The lettuce, chard, and beets I planted in an unprotected bed didn't fare as well.
I've started more artichoke seedlings. The plan for this winter is to keep a few in the cold frames in pots with a sandy soil mix for drainage, to see if they do better; I'll keep a couple outside covered with mulch for comparison.

Also got my cabbage, pepper, eggplant, broccoli, leek and onion seeds started inside under the grow lamps. I need to get the spinach and peas planted out, but it started raining yesterday and I didn't have time, since we were framing in the basement's utility room. The soil now needs to dry a bit before I can plant any seeds.