I knew tomatoes needed to be picked but when I bent over my head started throbbing so Papa Pea came to the rescue and did the harvesting for me.
This bed of two cherry tomato plants that is now covered with a cold frame at night may look a little worse for wear . . .
. . . but it's still bearing like crazy. Hubby brought in 5-1/2 lbs. of cherry tomatoes.
I haven't covered the cucumber bed with a cold frame nor have I thought to check for full-sized slicing cucs recently because I thought it was too cold for them to grow any more. Guess I was wrong.
My fall planted broccoli isn't growing as fast as I had hoped. I think this bed is gonna need a cold frame over it if the broccoli stands a chance of maturing.
This is my best looking of the Brussels sprouts plants. Looks like it's time to remove some more leaves.
These are the same two pumpkins that are in my header photo. I think they're both about 18" across now. I have never, ever grown such BIG pumpkins! I tried to lift the one closest in the foreground of the above picture. I could just get it off the ground but think I'd have a hard time walking with it.
Our apple trees have a lot less apples on them than they did last year.
And many of them have blemishes. They're maturing a lot earlier probably because of the hotter summer.
My zinnia plants are looking a little bedraggled but are still giving me lovely bouquets for inside.All in all, not bad for the garden the last part of September.
Wow you are sure getting lots to harvest still.
ReplyDeleteNothing worse than a head cold. Do you have a neti pot? If your sinuses aren't totally plugged a good rinse helps. Hope you are feeling better soon.
Sparkless - Yes, I do have a neti pot and will use it if I need it . . . I'm not particularly fond of it, but it sometimes really helps. My head seems to have "loosened up" a lot this late afternoon. Now I'm carrying around a box of kleenex with me. That must mean I'll be cured by tomorrow, right?
DeleteLooking good! I've found 3 pumpkin so far, they are smallbut starting to turn.Yours are just H>U>G>E!! I like the cold frames, I think they are on the list for next year.
ReplyDeleteKatidids - I don't think you'll ever regret making the cold frames. They sure do help me on both ends of the gardening season!
DeleteIs that how Brussels are grown?
ReplyDeleteYup, pretty strange looking, aren't they?
DeleteYour garden looks lovely!!! I am still super jealous of your pumpkins! Mine are blooming like crazy but no pumpkins that I can see. Our weather isn't as cold as yours yet so there still may be hope ☺
ReplyDeleteKelly - Keep the pumpkin faith! I've had them turn orange even after I picked them greenish because the vines were totally gone.
DeleteSo sorry to hear that you are not feeling so great. Hopefully it won't hang around for too long. Maybe you can rest by sitting and knitting. I think that sweater is going to look great. Love the color! Your pumpkin and flower photos really look like Fall for sure. Thankfully it's cooler here and feeling like Fall also.
ReplyDeleteKaren L. - I had a great night's sleep last night and am feeling so much better today. If it weren't for the on and off drizzling rain, I'd be outside working. Glad to hear you're getting the cooler temps, too.
DeleteSo sorry to hear you are under the weather. We've been having a series of viruses here as well. Definitely not fun.
ReplyDeleteYou are harvesting an amazing amount still. I noticed this evening that I'll need to do another cutting of broccoli soon. It never seems to end. Of course, when it finally does all end I'll be dreaming of next year!
Hope you feel better soon. Have some garlic tea and get some rest.
Judy
Judy - I did take care of myself when I was feeling punk and I think it paid off 'cause I'm almost back to normal today.
DeleteFor the slow start my garden had it is really doing well late into our season. I'm very thankful for that!
My fall planted broccoli isn't even planted yet, LOL. Maybe I'll just call it "early spring." I think everything looks pretty good. I'm sorry you're having sinus troubles. That is always so painful. What did you do with all those cherry toms?
ReplyDeleteLeigh - I've been putting the tomaters in the freezer for processing later in one big batch. And, of course, we've been eating our fill every day. They started out being rather tasteless which was very disappointing but have gradually gotten better so that the last month they've been delicious!
DeleteSorry you are under the weather..when the temps change here, we all struggle with sinuses, too. Your garden still looks good and productive!
ReplyDeleteSimply Scaife Family - I do wonder if I just somehow got stressed by the change of temps. Ours went from high in the 80s one week to high in the 50s now. Too fast for my body to adjust!
DeleteHope you get better soon, glad to see your brussel sprouts grew, the ones I planted last never formed any sprouts. Guess I will just double my brocolli for this year. Still to hot here to plant fall crops but maybe with next weeks cool down I can get something done.
ReplyDeleteTombstone Livestock - By the time your weather cools down enough to plant your fall crops, they will be more like winter crops! Such differences in climates we have in our U.S. of A.!!
DeleteJust lovely MP. My garden isn't doing much of anything this past month so it's nice to see yours so productive.
ReplyDeletetami - I think it's just the particular year this year for my garden. Usually by this time it's very sad, bedraggled and done(!) looking. My sunflowers just developed full-blown flowers about ten days ago. They're gorgeous to look at now but will never have time for the seeds to mature. And I really wanted to see how many seeds I could get for feeding the birds this winter. Looks like we'll be buying our supply again!
DeleteThe garden looks fabulous :) Sure hope your sinus issue goes away....I had to go get antibiotics yesterday.
ReplyDeleteStephanie - Oh, your germies were much worse than mine. As I said, I'm feeling just about up to snuff again today. Only really two days when I didn't feel very good. (I'm so thankful my sinuses seemed to have cleared over night!)
DeleteHope you feel better soon! I need to look into cold frames...
ReplyDeleteLindaCO - Cold frames are pretty easy to do when you garden in raised beds as you do. And they really do help at both ends of the gardening season.
DeleteLovely Brussels Sprouts. I've yet to grow them successfully. Maybe it's just too hot for too long here. We are still hitting the 80s with lows in the 60s at night.
ReplyDeleteThe Weekend Homesteader - Yes, Brussels sprouts do prefer cooler weather. Matter of fact, the flavor improves with a couple of frosts when they're maturing!
DeleteMama Pea, would you write a post concerning what you do to winter your strawberries?
ReplyDeleteKatidids - Sure, I will do that.
ReplyDeleteBoy, there is nothing more frustrating that a clogged head. I felt your pain when you described bending over - blech. I am so envious of your pumpkins. All my winter squash was affected by the powdery mildew and is just limping along. I think my red kuri squash are the size of grapefruits - small ones, at that. Those cukes are amazing for this time of year! Hope you feel better soon.
ReplyDeleteSusan - I was feeling nearly back to normal yesterday already and now today I'm ready to leap tall buildings. Or at least go look for a phone booth where I can put on my tights.
ReplyDeleteBummer about your winter squash. I guess I shouldn't show you pictures of my red kuri squash. I have a couple that are so big I think I'll need to use an ax to split them open. Maybe I should send ya a couple?