The Garden Never Ceases to AMAZE Me!

October 15, 2013

The Garden Never Ceases to AMAZE Me!

Okra and Cayenne Peppers

First year for peaches!

Cranberry Beans!! Trying to make tempeh from these babies!

Its time to put our garden to bed. I am becoming an official "snow bird" this year, enjoying the last of the autumn in Maine and heading south for Georgia later this month. D will come and go but I will stay in GA all the way through the winter this year, which is a first for me. Our weather in Maine has been so spectacular its made for a difficult decision where the garden is concerned. Many plants are still producing and we have yet to experience a frost. When a frost comes, it makes pulling out annuals and mulching down perennials much easier because most things are dead! This year I'm pulling up living vibrant plants which are trying their best to put a last ditch effort into reproduction.

We have eaten so well from this years garden, despite all of the pests and difficulties getting enough water on everything. I am so grateful for these plants which have kept us fed and produced enough to keep me busy freezing and canning and 'value adding' for weeks.

I thought I would just make a little collage of photos, some better than others, to remember the year in produce. The last photos are the poor nasturtiums, tomatoes and eggplants getting taken to the compost pile, still vibrant. I feel so badly about it! The images are in no particular order and really don't tell any particular story except they represent of the joy of gardening and the benefit of reaping what you sow!

Carrots all wrapped up in an embrace!

I failed to find any images of all the berries we've enjoyed. Strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, along with endless rhubarb. The rhubarb still seems to be growing too! And we did have our share of weeds, bugs and beetles, worms, moths and drought but all in all it was a very good year.
Now that I will be leaving my job at the Inn and not tending to and cooking from the garden OR selling food at any Farmer's Markets, I will have time to care for this blog, posting and organizing more recipes! Yippee! Here's to the end of the gardening season for Rosie and me (unless we plant some greens down in GA!!) Its time to enjoy the Fall colors which are just about peaking. SLAINTE!