This is the last of the lettuce (sob) in the garden. But, alas and alack, the hot weather has turned it bitter.
I've decided not to do any fall planting this year, but rather to put my energy and time toward getting the garden cleaned up and ready for winter earlier than usual. Then maybe I won't be out there in cold weather trying to do same after a couple of hard frosts. (I'm oh-so-ready for some quilt room time!)
Finally, finally, some cherry tomatoes are turning red!
The tops of the onions have gone all flopsy-mopsy and have mostly keeled over now. Looks as though we may have a good onion crop again.
This sweet little clump of Johnny Jump-Ups has popped up in the middle of an empty bed that grew broccoli this year.
Here is one row of potato vines which is starting to turn brown and flopping down. Sure hope there are lots of potatoes underneath.
This year the blossoms on the pickling cucumber vines are so dense they're growing in clumps. Wonder if they will all turn into cucumbers or if there won't be room for them all. I have one more batch of pickles to make before I have my quota to last two years. I like to plant pickling cukes only once every other year.
My "Ring of Fire" sunflowers have given us many cheerful bouquets for weeks now. You can spot the row of large sunflowers (to the left) where the heads are bowed and are starting to dry. I've never had the season last long enough to actually get mature seeds from them, but there's always hope.
I planted this 8' long trellis of mixed gourds to use for decoration this fall. You may recall I planted the same mix two years ago and every one of the gourds turned out to be a little white pumpkin. Every single one. Last year, same mix and I actually got a nice mix of colored gourds.
This year, every single gourd forming is this pear-shaped yellow one with a green bottom. Methinks it's high time I go to another company for a seed packet of "mixed colored gourds!"
The sweet peppers are looking great.
Each plant is loaded with growing peppers or blossoms. I'll have plenty for my supply of Stuffed Green Peppers for the freezer.
That's all for this trip through the garden. How is your garden looking this time of year?
13 comments:
Holy crow, that's a lot of cucumber blossoms!! Shaking my head at your mixed ornamental squash. I used to plant squash just to have some fun ones to decorate with for fall. Downsizing of my garden (or invasion of the strawberries) doesn't allow me to do that anymore. Do you plant pumpkins? -Jenn
Jenn - Yes, I almost always plant pie pumpkins and bigger ones for jack-o-lanterns. BUT! Couldn't find the room for them this year :o( . . . and am already missing them. I still have enough pureed pumpkin in the freezer from last year for pumpkin pies this winter though. I think I've solved the space problem for next year so they should be in the garden again!
Your garden looks great. Sadly, ours is doing terrible.
Kristina - I know you've had another really bad weather year. Who would have guessed that in your area of the country gardening would be so hard?! How very disheartening. Ugh.
Maybe I've said this before but..... All winter long, you must only have to buy milk, flour, butter, eggs and meat/fish. Everything else, you have "put away." Oh and sugar.
An awful lot of work goes into it, but you do cut your purchased food bill.
Yessssssss... Do get going on fall clean up. Give yourself a break, this year. Be done, when cold weather comes. And you can have some "do-what-you-want" time.
I think you are so wise to get the jump on garden clean-up. Who knows how quickly fall will be upon us? All my hens are molting - a good half-month earlier than usual (dum-de-dum-dum). I've already started planning for next year's, having given up entirely on this year's. Luckily, I have been able to clear the beds of their carpet of weeds so that I will start afresh next spring. Your sunflowers are so beautiful! I am going to try and find room for a grouping next year.
I am already missing not having produce from the garden to use on a daily basis and also for winter storage, but I am glad to have had a rest this year, and I am looking forward to getting going again next year.
Very sensible to get your garden sorted out earlier than usual and to be able to spend time doing what you want to.
Your gardens look wonderful. It seem like a good time to put them to bed til next year. It's almost Sept. Doesn't seem possible the time has gone by so fast.I hope you get to your quilting! I've been itching to get back to mine. So much I want to do and there seems no time for it. I've got gourds growing in the back yard. It's the first time I've try to grow them. It's full of little gourds starting,so we'll see if our growing season is long enough for them here. We've got till the middle of Oct. We'll see. Take care!!
Howdee Mama Pea :)) I have a moment to drop by, I miss you!!! :) Your garden looks nice, too bad about the lettuce! I still have tons of Romaine and Buttercrunch growing and we are knee deep in salads :) Our cherry tomatoes finally started to turn red too, but we are so up to here with tomatoes (go figure) that I decided to use them for tomato vinegar! I'll let you know how it goes, it'll be ready to check in about 8 weeks. The canner is going, the dehydrator is going...we're heading out to a local market next week to stock up and trying to find a budget for more Mason jars too :) Guess what? I finally learned that I might need to self-pollinate the pumpkins. I did that last week and finally have 2 sugar pumpkins forming...I hope it's not too late in the season, we don't have too many bees lately sigh! No fall garden for me either, I'm slightly overwhelmed lately! The first potatoes I planted will be harvested next week...then the second batch when the plants start dying. Life is good, very busy, but good! Sending love, hugs and quiet moments to you and Papa Pea! :) xxx
wisps of words - Don't forget salt. We have to buy salt. :O]
Careful about encouraging me to take time for myself. There is a lazy girl inside of me who's been trying to get out for years. When that happens, I won't be worth nuthin'!
Susan - I learned years ago that going into winter with clean beds and field garden is the way to go. Makes it DO much easier in spring. A row of sunflowers don't take up that much room at all, so do put some in next year. You'll enjoy their cheery faces for much of the summer.
Vera - Sometimes we really do need that year off the intensive gardening to gather ourselves together. I think you did a very wise thing this year!
Lynne - "So much I want to do and there seems no time for it." Boy, I'll second that, for sure! I think we all would be healthier and happier if we could find that magic balance so we truly do have time for what feeds our souls. Let's try to encourage one another, okay? (Be my partner in crime!) ;o}
Rain - Hello, dear friend. I've missed you, too! But we have to face the fact that summer is such a busy season because of gardening and its demands. (Not that it isn't super rewarding and I know we both love it!) Once again I have to say you have worked miracles with your container gardening efforts. Just goes to show what one can do when one sets one's mind to it. You're amazing!
Hi, Mama Pea! Love those sunflowers!! De wanted sunflowers this year and we didn't get them in. I'll have to look for those for next year.
We had a little of the same behavior from our pickles, but we see that every year on our green beans.
We grow the Blue Lake pole beans on 1/2 hog panel trellises peaked together. The beans always grow to the top then keep growing in a dense "comb-over" that flops to one side or the other. Odd thing is, that comb-over is one of the most productive parts.
Nice looking garden, as always. Drooling a bit over your lettuce. It got hot here so early it was bolting in just a few weeks after it was big enough to harvest.
Mark - I especially like the "Ring of Fire" sunflower because they sprout multitudinous (A LOT!) of flowers on each stalk. And they just seem to keep coming! De will love them.
In the past I've had the same thing happen with my sugar snap peas as you have with your Blue Lake pole beans. That "comb-over" flops to one side and, like yours, has the most harvest on it. But,it's such a pain to try to find all the pods when it's all flopsy-mopsy like that!
You would drool for a different reason (!) if you tasted that lettuce. It's turned BITTER. Actually it's gone now. The bed is empty and ready for a layer of compost!
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