The Roadside Vegetable Garden Has Turned

It looks innocent, a quiet country lane, not mowed, not sprayed, but well used.

Much is hidden from view.

Inside a wall of wild, the roadside vegetable garden has turned. The rapid decline indicates the season is ending.

Sacks and sacks of tomatoes ripen. Peppers need picking. Potatoes can be dug whenever.

The roadside vegetable garden is a fickle thing. After a decade of growing fine produce, I still can't be sure of anything. Particular items can have on years, off years, bumper crop years and complete failure.

I expected a good year for okra after an unpleasantly warm start. It got cool again at exactly the wrong time. The world's finest cantaloupe failed with the okra unless golf ball sized melons count.

This will go down as the year of Spaghetti squash. Big buggas this year. They will feed a family of six.

Ironweed thrives on dung. This is after I did a pretty ruthless culling at the beginning of the season. It is trying to take over the entire roadside vegetable garden.

It is too dramatic to give up completely. I'll cull more next year, but it is in the potato department and they were up and gone before it blocked out the sun.

There is also a giant Joe Pye. It was kind enough to self sow on the edge of the daylily patch.

Further down the lane a smaller shade tolerant goldenrod and Snakeroot are coming into bloom. The blue asters will follow shortly. If they all combine, it is going to look amazing.

The vegetable garden has turned while the Tall Flower Meadow strives to achieve the peak of perfection.

It was a productive day. A major layer of crud was scraped from inside the cozy cabin and the Great Lawn got a long over due haircut. Many odds and ends were tended to. Tomorrow there will be path mowing. I need to pace myself. Productivity is still tiring.

Is this the look of innocence?