Gardening

USDA NRCS South Dakota, "Final Carrot
Harvest in South Dakota High Tunnel," 2013

I’ve heard what’s pulled from a winter garden is
sweeter after the frost. Not always true for what
grows above ground—tender things get nipped,
may die. But for those that root underground—
parsnips, celeriac, carrots all come to mind—the
chill hand reaching beneath their compost blanket
brings a gift of transmutation: starches to sugars,
from what’s been stored to what’s been set free.