The roadside vegetable garden is slowly winding down. The tomatoes got the late blight bad. Half of the squashes have been stem bored. The okra just sits there thinking it could still get hot. It gives me pause in considering sweet potatoes for next year.
Even winding down I pulled three heavy sacks of tomatoes, peppers and green beans out of the roadside vegetable garden today. The chef greets this news calmly. Her freezers are full. Sometimes she groans when I come to the door loaded down with fine produce.
The tiny plot of Corn B is tasseling out. I plant sweet corn thinking miracles could happen.
Lettuce, spinach, radish, beets, sugar snap peas, kale, cauliflower and more parsnips have germinated and started to grow, at least the ones the slugs haven't devoured. As expected, the kale and cauliflower have been beset with caterpillars. Anything in the brassica family is a challenge to grow. One of these days I will get some row covers.
I may have my best ever crop of parsnips this year. I poked my finger in there and had a look at their necks. They are looking good. Optimum sweetness requires a few frosts. They won't be harvested until November. It will be interesting to see if the later second sowing of parsnips can reach a decent size before it is too late.
Some of the Frost Aster, Symphyotrichum pilosum, have even begun to bloom. The wild cultivated gardens will soon turn. A waving sea of Blue Wood Aster will sweep across the mountain top. Green will lose its dominance.
It is winding down to a new crescendo.
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6 comments:
Nice haul. Hope you do get some sweet corn. Have you tried to sprinkle baby powder on your cabbage or anything in that family? I've heard it keeps pests out. Will you benefit from the bounty this winter?
I did get 1 yellow tomato this evening from cleaning up the plant that was put out this spring. Okra is still putting out. It grows taller as it produces. lol
Lola my freezer has 10 containers of zucchini soup now and will be fully stocked when the house next door gets closed for the winter.
My okra hasn't grown an inch in about three weeks. It just sits there. I got one dish out of them during the heat wave and it was tasty. Yumm!
How did you fix it? I fry it like my mom.
Your sweet corn looks nice - maybe 25 ft of chicken wire stapled to some pokes (closed at the top, rocks, no, big rocks on the bottom) would spare you an ear or two. I worked hard on sweet corn here, but the wind always was fiercest as the tassels let pollen out. Ears looked like crap, of course. I expect to do better in Oregon.
Pomaika'i they have raccoons and other varmints in Oregon. Plenty no doubt.
Lola I baked the okra. Sliced round. Mix in a bowl with olive oil, garlic salt, sea salt and pepper. Bake in oven on cookie sheet for 10 to 15 minutes at 425 I think. Found recipe on internet.
Hard to believe that fall is approaching. Your garden tells the story.
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