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Thursday, October 31, 2013

Eating from K's garden

Tomato sauce, garlic, basil and rosemary
Onions and green peppers
Pizza
Yum.

The garden October 27th
I mowed the front yard and threw the grass/leaf mixture around the garden.

Saturday, October 26, 2013

So far, mostly so good

After two nights of below freezing temperatures, the zinnias are done,

a little blurry
and the marigolds are going downhill,


but the radishes are doing fine,


and the cabbages have not given up.


Temperatures for the next few days aren't forecast to be as low, so there might still be some growing going on for a little while.

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

It's coming

We've had a few frosty nights, but tonight it's supposed to dip into the 20's.

The garden October 23rd
I finally managed to get all of the tomatoes and peppers cut down, along with most of the zinnias. I've actually been laying the zinnia branches around the cabbage tents. I figure they can add a little more insulation. In light of the coming temperatures, I made covers for all of the cabbage plants, too.


They all look like they're doing fine, but tonight will be a real test. I have no idea if I have any chance of eating a cabbage out of the garden, but I'm not giving up yet.

Some of the less hardy plants have already succumbed.

basil

the sweet potato experiment
The radishes continue to thrive.


I'm interested to see how long they survive. Even if tonight does them in, they will have done their job. There is a lot of radishy organic goodness in the soil.

Guess we'll see how everything looks in the morning.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

What a girl can do with plastic and clothes pins

A few repurposed tomato cages, some old janky green fence, plastic clipped on with clothes pins and voila:

Broccoli
Cabbage
It's getting chilly. We haven't hit freezing yet, but we're getting dangerously close, so I decided I needed to come up with something for my broccoli and cabbage. These contraptions fit right in with my garden gate.  I don't know if this will do the trick, but I don't think it can hurt.

I've been working in the garden every evening, doing the one thing I hate: cutting down green, growing things. I have to keep reminding myself that nothing else is going to ripen, and cutting them after they freeze will be less fun.

Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
The tomatoes are gone, about half of the zinnias have been trimmed, and a I've taken out three pepper plants.


As I'm working, I'm also trying to remember what I learned this year and beginning to plan for next.

Monday, October 14, 2013

Admirer

I came home for lunch today, and I caught someone admiring the garden.


He looked one way


and then the other.


And then he flew off when I wasn't looking.

Today's bird: one beautiful sharp-shinned hawk who better have been hunting sparrows

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Constant

The garden - October 10th

With fall here it seems like things should be grinding to a halt, but I've noticed that that isn't happening. Each morning I spend time just looking at the garden, trying to be aware and not miss anything. As in spring, something is different every day. Sometimes the change is at my hands, sometimes Mother Nature's.

I've continued to trim the tomatoes slowly.

One tomato trimmed to the ground
The tomato jungle is looking more like an arbor.


The broccoli plants are getting very big. I didn't realize they would be so tall.



The cabbage is just plain beautiful.


The zinnias are still blooming, but they are starting to fall over.


I've noticed the stems breaking.


Some of the radishes are beginning to get big. I spied this one this morning.


The salvia I had all but forgotten have come to life again with the cooler fall temperatures.


Last but not least, the asparagus plants, which I have essentially ignored all summer, have become beautiful, feathery shrubs.


I think I'll be eating asparagus next spring.

Today's birds: robin, blue jay, northern flicker, junco (a "snowbird"!)

Monday, October 7, 2013

Beginning fall cleanup

The garden October 5th
I spent some time Saturday morning butchering trimming the tomato jungle.

Before


After
It's actually more dramatic in person. Even though I'm about tomatoed out, I couldn't bring myself to cut them down completely.

There was a time when I didn't think I'd ever have enough organic matter to fill up the composter. Seven indeterminate tomato plants later, I'm thinking I might need another composter.


In all fairness, I did mow the front yard, too, so it's not all tomato plants.

The broccoli plants are still doing well.


I haven't had to pick off any green caterpillars for several days.

The radishes are going strong.


We had some very chilly days but are now back in the 70's for our daytime temperatures, so I've got a little more time before I have to wrap up The Garden 2013 and get ready for winter.

I've been forgetting the birds lately, but I think I saw a new one today - an Eastern Towhee.