Last month, in my garden. (September 26)
This morning, in my garden.
Though my energy certainly feels pulled elsewhere - the garden is still giving us so much! Can you believe we haven't had a killing frost here yet? Our neighbors to the North and West all have, but not right here, not yet. There is still basil out there, which seems shocking for late October (and a total treat). And cucumbers! And I cannot believe, frankly, how many green beans we are still eating fresh. I've canned and fermented just as much as I think we can handle till they come round again next year, so all these are "bonus beans". For dinner each night (it's a good thing I have so many fans in the house), and as a snack at lunch.
The squash has all been harvested - it wasn't a stellar year, but we did alright. A new variety to us - the Paydon Acorn (a white acorn) - seems to have done the best. It's such a sweet variety good for everything from pie to soups and stews. We're enjoying it. The parsnips are so sweet and delicious and I am doing everything I can to resist pulling them all up, for I know that they'll just get better with a bit of winter time. And still so many carrots in the ground to enjoy. And brussels sprouts! Do you see? They are all doing well, and I do believe will be right on track to make an appearance by the bowlfull on the Thanksgiving table.
The garlic went in this week. It's really one of my favorite things to grow - have I said that before?Besides the bonus that we seem to grow it well here (I hope I didn't just jinx our 2014 crop), we eat so much of it and have been able, for the past few years, to grow enough to last us all year. This year, I'm hoping to grow enough for that, plus enough to be our seed garlic for the year following. Which is the other reason I love growing garlic so much - it feels so hopeful, planting at the end of one season for the next. I really do love that about it.
So late into this garden season, I am feeling full of gratitude for just how much the garden is giving us. From the last tomatoes ripening on the windowsill in the kitchen to what we've tucked away for winter to the greens that we know will be ended by frost any day. In this moment, we're savoring and appreciating so much.
