My Autumn Garden

Throughout this year, I've tried to keep you fairly well updated on what my garden is doing so that I might encourage you in your own gardening efforts. You've already learned my garden is far from perfect - and perhaps that shows up no more clearly than in the autumn.

I always have big plans for a wonderful fall garden...but I always run out of steam near the end of summer. This year, I've done better than most years, but I'm still not growing as much food as I'd like. I have to remind myself I'm only one person and I have a lot of other important jobs to do. Besides, every little bit of food I can grow for my family is better than not growing anything at all.
 

We're having an Indian summer, which does help productivity. So my tomatoes are still producing - although I expect I'll still end up ripening the last of them indoors in my pantry. (Learn how, here.) The strawberries, wonderberries, and several types of squash are still producing, too.

In late summer, I planted out leeks and broccoli. The leeks are a first for me, and my previous attempts at broccoli haven't been successful.Sometimes you just have to keep trying - with different methods, of course.

I harvested carrots today; they are in the canner!

Pattypan squash.

Butternut squash.

Sunflowers.

Marigolds growing amongst the collards. You can tell I have an organic garden: Notice how the slugs and snails have been enjoying the collards, too.

Tomatoes are still going!

Wonderberries.

I also have beets and parsnips in the ground. I usually wait to harvest them until a good frost sweetens them up. The parsnips I leave in the ground all winter, harvesting as needed. The same is true of the Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes). In addition, I have kale and collards - and all my herbs are still producing.

Overall, I feel I've done better than usual this fall. I've even got the garden weed free (except for the pathways, which my husband tills periodically) and I emptied one of my compost bins to ammend the garden's soil. On the other hand, my front garden bed is a terrible mess invasive weeds like buttercups and wild blackberries. I plan to lay cardboard over that garden all winter long, in hopes of killing those weeds that are impossible to pull out by hand.

But remember: By this time of year, my entire garden usually doesn't have much growing in it but weeds! So don't be hard on yourself if your garden isn't all you hoped it would be this October. There's always next year!

How is your garden doing this fall?