Planted kale and Swiss chard in West C, after tilling in the cover crop and adding compost. I just sort of sprinkled the seeds around.
Planted root crops together in upper c. It might be a mess, but I plan to thin things down as I go. Carrots, rutabaga, beets, and radishes. Covered the first set with some loose soil (1/2 deep) and just sort of sprinkled the rest in.
put out cilantro seeds
And some abandoned bonbons (herbs and edible flowers.)
Things have slowed down in the garden. There’s still some activity, but mostly it’s time to hibernate.
The main reason I started this blog was to record what happens month to month- so next year I can look back and recognize the cycles- both mine and nature’s.
Here’s a feeling I recognize- I’m ready to be done. It’s gorgeous this afternoon, but mostly I’ve avoided going out. I’m happy to let things fade away- and the thriving plants are actually a little annoying. (C’mon little tomatoes, your time is past!)
It’s clear that I am a fair weather tender. I wouldn’t do well if I had to do this day in and day out indefinitely. The joy of gardening fades with the nice weather. I’d rather stay inside and work on art.
I actually think that tearing out the old plants is almost as satisfying as planting int the spring. I still have a couple of things going- kale, chard, Brussels sprouts, carrots, beets, leeks- but I’m ready to retire my gloves for the winter and focus on other projects.
That’s not too say it was easy. My hands hurt after a Saturday of cleaning and pulling.
But I did have some beautiful carrots, and a HUGE beet as my reward.
Cleared west c and d, planted cover crop.
Cleared South D and Upper B- planted garlic
Pulled okra plants, but left the peas carrots and beets in west e.
Pulled the peas support from lower bed.
Geeze. Surely I did more than that.
This was my first day harvesting since my surgery a week ago. (Might have overdone it… /:)
Lots of lovely nova tomatoes and peppers. Def doing those from seed again next year. We are now talking about our canning options, because… The kitchen is already full of ripe guys.
Also got a bunch of green and yellow beans. I went through and cleaned up the plants a bunch, pulling excess leaves off.
We’ve had some okra and peas.
This was the second-chance plant, and it has given us much
Everything else is a little overgrown, because I’ve not been able to harvest or eat much. I wish wish wish we had a larger freezer for this stuff.
It’s been hot and very smoky here, but this morning we had a little rain and the air is almost breathable. The garden is looking a-ok
Got a good amount of food out today.
Cooked up a yummy low-fat lunch to starve my gallbladder.
Dude, I love arugula.
That was a few days ago at 4:30. So much smoke that the sun turned red
I fertilized the tomatoes, squash, and blueberries a couple of days ago.
What to say… There is much food. The Arugula is delicious, I’m also growing it inside, in the Aerogarden.
Some of the onions are still going. The hops are GIGANTIC. I found one okra, and that is enough to make growing them from seed worth it. The tomatoes are doing well, ripening. P loves spicing the sauce ones up and cooking them down into sauces. I think we have enough that we might eventually tire of that and have to can some. Green beans are doing well. I think the squash could use more irrigation (note for next year) as could the blueberries. (I filled a pocket up of blueberries yesterday. Whimsical!)
Uhm, looks like I might have a couple of Brussels sprouts and some leeks this winter; raspberries are happy.
Strawberries are having a second (small) berry time. Yay!
All of this is perfect timing to make me little less aware of my health. My gallbladder went from warning me occasionally, to hurting whenever I have any kind of fat. I do have a relatively low fat diet as a vegetarian who mainly eats home cooked meals, but I am missing my cheese and olive oil something fierce. There is hopefully a cure on the horizon, but it will mean a short break from tending the plants.
In the meantime we are getting creative with proteins, and I have developed a snack I call “hand salad”, which is basically a handful of lettuces (kale, arugula, mesclun) and tomatoes which I shove in my mouth.
It’s like potato chips, except not at all.
Take that nutritionist!
Today I did some fall planting- Brussels sprouts, leeks, green onions in South C (soil well fluffed with amendment), cover crop on South D…
Peas, beets, and carrots in West E.
Arugula and leeks in upper A.
I made up a bowl of future-salad. I also planted some basil seeds with my plant (and spilled dirt on the floor!) and replanted some cat grass for the kitties.
I cooked up a big stir fry up work on this week (Garden: yellow squash, zucchini, garlic, hot peppers from the freezer, beets, beet greens, chard, kale. + beans) This is my favorite way to eat up a bunch of greens, and makes a lot of food (:
oh! And I’m out of cilantro seeds, so I’m trying out some of the ones I harvested last year for coriander while my plants bolt.
Strawberries are still nuts, blueberries are starting but the robins won’t share.
We’ve been gone a couple of days, and came home to our first real harvest.
Which I fried and braised
Into this
Yum!
Includes beet greens, Swiss chard, kale, romaine, squash, peas, onion, and garlic from the garden; peppers from the freezer, and beans salt oil from the store.
Also
Strawberries a plenty!
It’s been raining for a few days, almost thunderstorming, and I’ve been busy/flaring to much to be outside. (dislocated neck?)
I planted a few more okra starts in south d and west e
After pulling a bunch of bolting radishes. I found some beets hiding under there, too.
And a lovely robins egg blue robins egg.
the green beans are growing!
I fertilized (acidizer) the tomatoes, except for one container tomato as a test.
Then I side dressed basically everything- lower and pots
Planted nasturtium along the new rock wall in the lower bed
And a couple of delicata on the slope- protected by copper and sluggo.
Asparagus progress
Volunteer Mullein
Okra progress.
