It is amazing how one can stay so busy caring for a garden that is essentially moving towards a long nap. Maybe it is my sense of “clean management” that spurs me on to remove the decaying matter, though not so much in the house yard. Actually for the CG it comes down to removing the dying, so that a blanket of leaves can be put down, to be turned over in spring, and to help insulate the remaining veggies. Slugs will probably love it, as there are quite a few lurking in the lovely lettuce, but that’s just something we’ll have to deal with as necessary.
A lovely spurt of unseasonably warm weather delighted us gardeners a week ago, also prompting all the weeds to put forth new energy, and teasing a couple of strawberry plants into producing a few berries. Of course, the bees were very happy with it, too. Pineapple sages and Japanese anemones are still actively blooming, much delighting the hummingbirds.
Fall splendor; a little sun, a little fog....
This week heralds the onset of a few colder nights, between rainstorms, but no frost. It won’t be as easy to see our pollinator friends and hummingbirds now, with shorter days, colder mornings, and barely light by the time I get home from work.
Still trying to ripen picked green tomatoes, but after last month’s rain, it’s not so easy, as many want to rot before turning any tint of orange. Drying them down if they show any color is turning out to be a better option.
Our October bounty was exceptional, now that the tomatoes and squash were all pulled in:
- Basil: 0.75
- Cucumbers: 8.5
- Kale: 1
- Lettuce: 3
- Melons (combined): 8.5
- Acorn squash: 22.5
- Delicata squash: 8.75
- Spaghetti squash: 119
- Swiss chard: 2.5
- Summer squash: 10
- Tomatoes: 44.5
Month’s total: 229 pounds (rounded)
Season total: 629 pounds
And this season’s total bests last year’s total at this same time by about 61 pounds, and it surpasses our final 2009 tally by 37 pounds! Hooray for all the superb contributions from the plants, devas, pollinators, and human caretakers!
High Vibe Bounty 