Monday, October 06, 2008

Monday Garden Update: Harvest

This month is a busy one: two more weddings and everything that goes hand in hand with weddings (NO not cakes, I mean like rehearsals and stuff), a funeral, a few birthdays, and that glorious holiday of feasting-Thanksgiving.
It's hard to squeeze in time to get out to the garden, but frost is imminent and things need to be harvested. The days have been chilly, even with the bright sun, fortunately there's nothing like digging to get the blood pumping and the body warmed up.

We only got two pumpkins from our experimental plant, one large one and a slightly smaller brother-- very originally named 'Noah' and 'Mateo'. We've been watching them grow and ripen in the garden for close to two months now so they feel like part of the family in a odd way. Right now they have a decorative function on the steps and I think we'll spare them from being made into pies.

My purple carrots are a perfect size to make the trip from the earth to my crisper in the fridge. Too bad I don't have one of those root cellars to hold all of them.

Here's my young onions drying in the sun. I still have a lot to learn about growing these as about half of the crop rotted in the ground. Why would one bulb rot while it's neighbor grew perfectly well? Curious.

These are a few plant that refuse to give up. They were in their prime about a month ago, however, even though everything around them is turning brown and drying up, they continue to produce and flower. I'm also getting a terrific second crop of sweet raspberries; they are making up for the pitiful beet production and woody turnips. Blech.

I'm sad to see my garden shutting down and I'll miss dashing out there every time I want a tomato and a handful of basil for a sandwich, but such is the turning of the seasons and until I live a lot further south, like a LOT, I'll be putting away my trowel and gardening gloves for six months or so come mid-October.
Who knows what I'll try next year?!

13 comments:

Rachel said...

your harvest is so wonderful! Id give anything to live in a climate where gardening was easier, (Im in Phoenix, AZ) I have a hard time finding anything locally grown. Ive never seen purple carrots, do they taste any different?

Deborah said...

We tried growing onions this year, but they didn't get that big because they pushed each other out of the ground. I'll have to do some research on growing onions before next year! Your harvest looks wonderful!

Cookie baker Lynn said...

I love the peek into your garden. It looks delightful. All I grew this year was blueberries, raspberries, and flowers (the wedding). We'll see about next year.

LyB said...

I always love your garden updates, I'll miss your little garden too! I guess we have next year to look forward to. :)

abigail @ Paper and Cake said...

i cannot believe you are growing these gorgeous veggies in your own backyard! i look forward to what you will make with them...?

Brenda P. said...

There's nothing like a fresh carrot, just rinsed and scrubbed a bit. Tastes like "solid" carrot juice...you can just feel your eyesight sharpen.

I am daydreaming about a lovely terraced garden down my back hill (only place that gets full-time sun). Maybe next year, when little boys can be parked in a sandbox for awhile...

Gorgeous, gorgeous photos.

Hayley said...

Ow I'd love a garden! You're veggies are so beautiful... They're so vibrant, I just love the colour! xx

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) said...

Your garden continues to yield an astonishing harvest -- I'm so proud of you and so green with envy!

Baked, By Anna said...

Your garden is beautiful!! I am jealous of your continued harvest.

Aimée said...

Hi Rachel- No, they taste the same, but they look beautiful shaved thinly in a salad.

Hi Deb- Thanks. My mom told me to step on mine. Funny,eh?

Hi Lynn- It could be a fun science project with your homeschooled kids!

Hi Lyb- Yeah, who knows what I'll try.

Hi Abigail- I don't really do anything fancy with my produce. Ever eaten a freshly picked carrot? It needs no dressing up!

Hi Brenda- The sandbox is INVALUABLE. Good call.

Hi Hayley- Thanks!

Hi Lydia- My hard work paid off, yay!

Hi Anna- Thanks. I think it's over now, though..:(

Anonymous said...

super-MOM
how do you find time to garden??
- Josh

Emily said...

What a harvest!

There's no way I could have grown all of that.

Amanda at Little Foodies said...

Fantastic! This should make you laugh. The pumpkin plants that I kept saying were taking over the garden and doing exremely well (which were planted by my own fair hand from a packet of seeds that said pumpkins) ARE ACTUALLY Butternut Squash... I was gutted until I remembered that I prefer to eat butternut squash to pumpkin. The children however are upset that we have to buy their lanterns this year.

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