Garden Update

I am very aware of the sun disappearing earlier every day.  I'm also aware that I have been 'putting up' foods to enjoy during the winter months.  I was not aware my plants were coming to the end of their life cycles.  I began noticing yesterday morning when I pulled brown bean plants and tossed them in the compost bin.  This morning I begrudgingly pulled the sad tomato plant and threw it in the woods behind my house.  After cleaning up the mess I made, I sat down.  Only to notice my cucumber plant needed to be pulled as well.  I foraged the last three cucumbers and pulled it out, dragging it behind me to the woods.

 

The small spot the cucumber plant took up.  I ended up with 21 jars of pickles, 4 salads to feed 9 people, sharing with 3 families and 2 turtles, (My daughter has turtles in her classroom.) with 12 left in the refrigerator for good eating.


The potted tomato plant was an heirloom variety.  It just didn't do so well after I began finding the horn worms on it.  I won't grow that variety any more because I had the same problem last year.  What it did produce, an animal snuck into my yard at night and feasted on.  I cleaned up the pot and pulled 2 marigold plants from the garden to put in the pot.


 

The marigolds look pretty, but I was after nourishment rather than beauty.

The soil is turned and amended in the garden so I can plant the winter garden.  I have 50 garlic bulbs to go in tomorrow morning.  Today I have to save my energy to can the peaches I bought on Sunday.

So the garden is beginning to take on the shape of fall.  The peppers are still producing - slowly - and the other tomato plant is still healthy with a few tomatoes and a lot of flowers.  I do have a guest on the tomato plant though...

Can you see the praying mantis?  I'm told they are good for a garden, so I leave her to her business.  She moves slowly and stays in one spot for days.  I'll have to research her and if she can do damage to my plants.  So far I don't see any.

The green tomatoes I had to pick last week so they didn't get eaten are beginning to turn red in the paper lunch sack I put them in.  Here's a picture of the first one to turn.  It will go in the freezer with the others from my daughter's garden to make a pot of sauce.

The first red tomato from my garden (as opposed to my daughter's).  I'll probably have to take a slice of this to eat before I freeze the rest.

This is what fall looks like in a garden.  Bare and a bit sad.

On a brighter note, the blackberry bush is huge and looks like it will produce enough berries for a batch of jam.

The experience I've had this summer with a productive garden was (is) exhilarating.  I never thought it was something I would be able to do.  My husband could grow anything.  All he had to do was smile at the plants and they would grow.  I swear he would pick out all female plants.  Maybe mine this year were mostly male plants.  Who can tell. (If there is even such a thing.)

Stay safe.