September Garden

The garden is winding down, and we will be putting it to bed for the winter very soon.  It has been fun dedicating a post to my vegetable garden each month, and I know I will enjoy re-reading these posts when the fury of winter is upon us (here are the links if you would like to read the earlier posts... June, July, August).
The tomato plants are brown and dried, but many green tomatoes are still ripening on the vine. We have had to cover them two nights in a row to protect against frost, so I'm planning to pick them all this weekend and allow them to finish ripening in the house.  The squash is almost ready for harvesting; I found a number of delicata and large buttercup (my favorite) on the vines last weekend, and the pumpkins didn't do too badly for being planted late.

Sadly, the Brussels sprouts have not done so well.  The plants are large, green and healthy, but there is not a sprout to be found on any stalks.  It  is very disappointing since sauteed Brussels sprouts is a hands-down, favorite dish in our house.  The kale, on the other hand, is doing great...I don't think we have ever eaten so much kale!  I finally have a few baby eggplants, and the pole beans are still as vibrant as ever.

We have been discussing plans for next year, and I would really like to grow more vegetables.  Although, I have been doing lots of pickling, I did not put anything in the freezer this summer.  When our family was smaller and younger, I was able to do a lot more freezing, but we are now eating all of  the vegetables as soon as they are harvested, leaving nothing for the freezer.  Having the abundance of fresh vegetables was wonderful, and it really helped lower our monthly food costs, but I want to grow more so that we can eat our produce in the winter as well.   I would love to have a stock pile of frozen greens, beans, Brussels sprouts and corn in the freezer for the winter months.  Hubby made the suggestion that we plant separate gardens...one for immediate consumption and one for preserving.  I like that idea...I think I may try to work it into the plans for next spring.  I have added the book, How to Grow More Vegetables, to my Amazon wish list. It looks like it has lots of great ideas for getting more out of the space one already  has.  I would also like to incorporate more flowers and herbs into the garden as natural pest deterrents.

The Sweet Annie that I planted last year reseeded itself, and I have three times more than I did last fall.  The smell of it is intoxicating.  I have seen wreaths made from Sweet Annie, and I would like to try my hand at making a few, but fall is such a busy time of year, and I haven't been able to find a free  moment to try it.  I did, however, cut a large bouquet of Sweet Annie for our mudroom.

I'm always sad to see the garden come to an end.  It's my sanctuary.  I love being in my garden.  I love feeling the heat of the sun on my back as I plant, weed, pick bugs, prune, thin, and harvest. I love the smell of the tomato vines, the sound of the chirping crickets, and the noise the garden gate makes when it closes.  I love the birds that come to my garden feeder. I love the beautiful fence that Hubby built for me.  I love it all, and it's always difficult to succumb to the inevitable end of summer.  I guess, for now, I will have to look forward to cozy, snowed-in, Sunday afternoons when I can curl up next to the wood stove with a blanket, a cat, and a copy of one of my favorite magazines, Organic Gardening.

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