Garden's Tired, But Still Producing

 My garden has passed the neat and tidy, attractive stage, but still has a lot to offer.

 

There are some lush, healthy-looking ferns appearing in the asparagus bed.  Our harvest this year for our winter's supply was exactly the same as last year, but I do think we ate more fresh this year.

 

The shell peas have long been done, and I should have had these spent vines pulled by now.  I got a start on them the other day, but didn't finish.  Our supply of peas put by is double what it was last year when I planted the peas in "new" ground that had been worked up for only two years.  Goes to show that a soil full of adequate nutrients produces a better crop.  (Ha, who'd a'thunk it?)

 

After our strawberry harvest was over this year, I was a bad gardener and neglected the whole area which became full, full, full of weeds.  It took me a while, but I finally finished the removal of weeds yesterday.  Now to keep it that way until the frost hits and I cover the whole bed with heavy mulch for the winter.

 

My patch of jack-o'-lantern pumpkins is producing BIG pumpkins.  If Mother Nature will cooperate and let them mature enough to turn a nice orange color, all will be well.

 

The little pie pumpkins are even more prolific than the big ones.  If they get time to mature, I'll have all I want for pumpkin puree plus decorations in my fall window boxes.

 

This is a peek at a couple of the tomatoes on the full-sized tomato plants (that I said I would never bother planting again until I had a greenhouse).  Two plants were given to me that I stuck in a spare corner and they've produced good-sized looking tomatoes.  Like the pumpkins, if we get the proper weather, they may even ripen on the vine!  And wouldn't that be something?

 

I've never had Swiss chard grow so big and vibrant.  This is one patch of it and there is another bunch of the "Bright Lights" variety that is even bigger.  I have so much Swiss chard this year I can't use it all.  (I think I planted too much.)  If I can squeeze in the time, I'll dehydrate some of it to mix in with the poultry's feed during the cold winter months.

 

Our tasty Red Kuri squash (so yummy!) has produced prolifically.  Granted, those yellow orbs still have to turn a deep, dark orange color before they'll be good to eat, but I have hopes.  I put two plants in a raised bed (as experimentation) and this patch in an area that I was afraid might not get enough sun to grow squash.  (Also an experiment.)  So far, the shady patch has out-produced the ones planted in the raised bed in full sunlight.  Go figure.

The garden is showing more and more bare, empty spots as the days and weeks go by, but that gives me a sense of keeping on top of things, too, as I clean up the areas and ready them for winter.  Do you remove the old debris from the garden at the end of the season or wait until the following spring?