MY INQUIRING MIND WANTS TO KNOW: Have you put your veggie garden to bed for the year — or are you still waiting on a few crops? In my own two edible gardens, a number of plants (including some painfully-poky Brussels sprouts) are still waiting it out. Have a look:
Lemon Verbena. Despite the cold, this hot-season herb is still holding on. My plan is to harvest the leaves and bury them in a jar of sugar. This way I can have lemon-scented sugar for tea and what-not.
Wanna bet the plant will be killed by frost before I get around to harvesting?
Parsley. I’ve already preserved vast quantities of this herb for winter use. Meanwhile, I’m continuing to enjoy the lavish remains!
Fennel. If you’d like to have this crop in autumn, then do what I did, and plant the seeds in mid-July. The anise-scented “bulbs” are precious to me, so I certainly won’t leave them to frost. Thinly sliced, fennel is delicious either cooked or raw.
Leeks. No hurry here — this is a frost-tolerant crop. I love them braised in butter and wine, or sauteed for an incredible rustic tart.
Potatoes. Would you believe I haven’t dug these yet? Okay. I’m lazy.
Brussels Sprouts. Not a good year for these. Even the sprouts offered for sale at my local farm store are small. Still, I’ll give the little green marbles a chance to grow. In any event they become sweeter after they’ve endured a few frosts.
Beets. I planted these from seed in mid-July. Hang on while I pull up one of the roots…
Ta-da! I promise to harvest the rest of the beets later today. Otherwise I fear that you might spank me.
So…which veggies or herbs are still lingering in your garden? I look forward to reading your comments.
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Related Posts:
Creating a Raised Bed Garden
How I Smother Weeds with Newspaper
How I Prepare My Raised Beds for Winter
Lori says
My first attempt at brussels sprouts has been really slow. I thought it might be me and my inexperience growing them. Thanks for letting me know that it’s not a good year. I’m waiting as patiently as I can. I also still have some beets in the garden. I’m learning also about garlic. I planted a bunch of cloves last spring (I know, I KNOW) and they grew a little then withered and died. Or so I thought. They are happily sprouting NOW. I didn’t know you were supposed to plant them in the fall. The bulbs were at the farm store in April so I planted then. Hopefully they will turn out okay next year. I also still have a couple of swiss chard plants hanging in there and one onion that I missed earlier has resprouted.
Fall garden clean up is going slowly but I have the bulk of the big plants out of the way. It looks absolutely NAKED out there now. But I’m already planning and plotting for next year. 🙂
Beverly, zone 6, eastern PA says
I am harvesting carrots in three colors (red, yellow and orange) as well as Sun Gold cherry tomatoes still holding on and pole beans ‘Garden of Eden’, slow but still coming.
I planned to overwinter my Lemon Verbena and dug it just yesterday, taking a half dozen long cuttings for a jar of water, then composted the other bits. I reduced the Lemon Verbena “canopy” considerably since it went into a pot for overwintering, and the lengths were considerable. This was my first summer with this herb so it’s all an experiment. I just adore the powerful fragrance. Darn! I never thought of placing the leaves into sugar. Another great idea from Kevin!
The pineapple sage is a glorious dome, four feet wide, red, red, red and gorgeous.
I froze my Chives, two baking-trays’ worth. I used my common Sage last evening with a roasted potato dish. I hope to stretch that for another month at least, but we’re cooling down fast here in eastern Pennsylvania.
Annie B says
Potatoes I didn’t get around to harvesting have started a whole new generation. Bell peppers still wonderful Kale lives, no matter what. I’ve kept watering the zinnias because I like them and migrating hummers and butterflies like them too. My beds aren’t put to bed because I just haven’t done it. Period. Happy Sunday.
Suzanne Gravelle says
Yes, I had a wonderful salad last nite from my zone 4 garden. Winter density lettuces have been through several frosts and then there is the kale, Swiss chard, chives, and a few sprigs of French sorrel, parsley hanging on too. With the last of the green tomatoes finally ripening and some peppers in the fridge it was great! The brassicas did not do well this year-esp. cauliflower-there is always next year and so much in the freezer, canning and drying storage this year to last.
Sherlie Magaret says
We have put to bed two of our garden boxes, cleaned out the plants and turned over the straw and dirt. I have about a half dozen pea pod plants(August planting) that we are still picking from and get a handful every few days, with frost coming this week, it will be the last of them I am sure. We decided not to do a winter garden under plastic this year. Once the weather turns cold, it is so hard to go down there to tend things. It has been somewhat successful for us but with spending everyday doing something in the garden all summer, it is nice to have a rest from it. Guess I am like the soil and need a rest to rejuvenate and get inspired again.
Diane H Hinkle says
I always wondered what brussels sprouts looked like while growing, even slowly. Now I know. Interesting. I do not like them………..can manage to eat one, but not two. : )
Jane says
Zone 5A here, gradually going to 6. Potatoes and leeks are still in the ground while I deal with getting the winter’s firewood stacked. But we’re supposed to have frost Monday night and for several nights in a row, so I gathered up the last of my tomatoes (mostly San Marzano and and Amish paste) and pulled up and picked the last 3 or 4 several pounds of lima beans. (“Conventional wisdom” says you can’t grow Limas in the north. Conventional wisdom lies, though you have to get the planting done just at the right time.) Beets and carrots are still in the ground, too, some of them grown monstrous from an earlier planting.
I may or may not get the veg garden cleaned up nicely before winter. There’s just way too much to do in the fall, especially if you heat with wood, as I do.
7 or 8 years ago, I bought one dill plant. Now I have a gazillion of them all over the veg plot, including some bright new little ones from the seed the earliest ones that came up this spring must have thrown.
Question: Is dill something that can do OK in a pot indoors over the winter?
I have yet to find the right timing for brassicas, including brussels sprouts. Mine are also tiny this year, but planted too early, they turn into big tough monsters before the frost makes them edible. Grrr.
Susan L. Espersen says
I did Brussels Sprouts once before and got tons of huge ones! This time, pokey and tiny! I guess that I am in good company though! I am just picking the last of my peppers! Got bunches from only four plants and many ripened to red! I planted a late bunch of beet seed and am waiting still for them to be ready to pick! I hope they make it!!! I still have the variety sunflower mix in bloom and my marigolds look wonderful still. I almost thought it was too late to bother with my hanging baskets of petunias, but I got back at watering them regularly and they have filled back out and are beautiful. Who would have thought when it is scarcely a week or so short of November! I am anxious to clear the vegetable garden, till in some compost and leaves, and plant a cover crop of grasses and clover! My mission? Defeat the huge clods of CLAY! Happening to all! 🙂
Lois says
I have put the majority of my small raise-bed garden to bed (which includes planting garlic.) I’ve topped the beds off with compost and covered all with a “blanket” of lawn clippings that include a generous supply of leaves. Whatever isn’t composted by spring will be turned in. All that’s still green on the garden is a ‘Costata Romanesco’ squash plant that is somehow hanging on, and a ruby-stemmed chard that is attempting to become a large shrub! We haven’t had a substantial frost yet here in Central NY. How can that BE?
Elaine says
The Brussels sprouts need to have the bottom leaves cut off and let those little sprouts get that sunshine! Works so much better that way I have found. Just getting ready to harvest some for today.
ruth says
Hello from over the pond. Here in Southern England, I have leeks, black cale and purple sprouting broccoli all doing well despite the best efforts of the cabbage white butterflies and the rabbits. Also have a few cabbages still to pick. Must also dig up the garlic
Theresa says
This weekend I picked the last of my bell peppers. Bugs and slugs had moved into several of them though. I spent a good part of Friday and Saturday digging up sweet potatoes. They did well in my zone 6A garden, though the clay needs much more amending to make the digging easier. Some white potatoes still in the ground. Trying to get all of the tomato vines cleaned up and out, so they don’t contaminate next year’s crop. Also raking leaves to dump in the garden. Hard free on the way this week.
Barbara says
I’ve pulled the plants from most of my raised-bed garden. Next week I will till in some grass clippings and leaves before saying good-night to the garden beds. Then it’s on to the drawing board to plan how I will use the two additional beds I plan to put in next spring.
I was left with a goodly number of green tomatoes, with which I made green tomato relish. This was my first venture into canning; and I was pleasantly surprised how well things worked. The result was almost identical to my mother’s green tomato relish, though there are a few tweaks I will try next year. I also have several pounds of green-turning-red tomatoes. I’m immersing myself in canning recipes, trying to decide what form they will take.
Most of my summer flowers are done. But strangely, my fuchsia hanging basket has started blooming again in the cooler days. Makes me think I need to find a more protected place for it next year.
Matthew Davis says
We don’t put ours to bed… we just switch crops. cabbages, brussel sprouts, kohl rabbi, cilantro and the like don’t do well in summer in East Tennessee so winter is when we get some of our best crops.
Madfortulips says
Ah, it has been a great fall for our garden! We are still picking golden raspberries, 1 piint each week, just dug 100 or so potatoes today. That is in our lower( older open garden, which we are slowly turning into all berries, raspberries,blueberries and strawberries. Our new garden up out side our kitchen, which are raised beds have parsnips,beets,kale,lettuce,beans,scallions peppers still going strong( second palanting on all but parsnips,beets) . My hubby made wire hoops and we cover all the beds with frost barrier, at the hint of temp.dips into the 30’s! I am also loving the zinias ,cosmos and lisianthus still going strong. We are in southern NH so are on borrowed time from here on in…watching weather closely 🙂
Elizabeth H says
We usually have hard frosts and snow by now but we’ve been having a warm spell of mid 50’s during the day. The only thing I still have out in the garden (raised beds) are my Brussels sprouts, which have been very slow growing. But this is my first year growing mine as well and I thought it was operator error. I am in Anchorage and most of my garden gets started under lights in March to get a good head start, and thought maybe I’d started them too early. Everything else has been harvested and put away so that the chickens can have their way with the beds.
jean says
Hi Kevin,
I still have swiss chard out that is beautiful and a friend gave me a recipe for swiss chard soup I need to try. Also still getting tomatoes and parsley and herbs still growing. Still getting some cream colored fall raspberries which are wonderful. Finally pulled up the cucumbers and there was one left. It was a wonderful garden here in Indiana and I can’t wait to start planning for next spring. Have to get new milk jugs so I can winter sow again as that is the only way to go. Such strong and healthy plants. Thanks for all your info and great recipes.
Martha says
Hi, Kevin;
What is left in our garden is beans and okra to let ripen for seeds for next year. Also going to take some cuttings from the tomato plants and see if I can overwinter and have a head start for next season. Love your site and your recipes are going into my collection (to be used, of
course). Today I want to try the Tuscan bread and the orange marmalade cake.
BTW: I took cuttings from all my geraniums about amonth ago and they are now blooming in our dining room window – and will through the winter. Thanks for the ideas.
Your gardens are marvelous as is your home. Thank you for sharing.
Dana Hutchinson says
I planted beets this year and found out you can eat the greens from them, so I washed them & patted them dry and threw them in some roasted garlic (fresh from my garden) & butter sauce and cooked them til they were wilted w/ salt & pepper…loved it. I also like roasted fennel with my beets too.
Arianna Norris-Landry says
Believe it or not, I still have all kinds of peppers coming on. The popcorn finished over a month ago, but the cucumbers and tomatoes aren’t giving up yet. All this despite our unseasonably cold weather. I think the tomatoes might have to come into the house green, but I’ll just store them in newspaper until I want ripe ones.
Btw, you do know you can leave potatoes in the ground to over winter right? I know you can do it with parsnips, turnips and carrots, though I’m not sure about beets. I am in the Midwest and I plant some things late in the summer so that they do over winter.
Eliza J says
The only thing I have left in the garden is golden beets. I was able to harvest about 12 today for dinner, but the rest aren’t ready yet. I will definitely be planting carrots differently next year, meaning that I want to plant more carrots, and will stagger the plantings also so that I still have some in the ground “now”. Speaking of harvesting, I harvested our compost pile yesterday and for the first time I was putting “dirt” in the wheelbarrow instead of half composted compost. This was last years pile that got neglected this year for many reasons. I guess it thrived on neglect, much to my delight! Just wanted to share that with you….take care Kevin.
S. Taylor says
I’m still getting little tomatoes, herbs, lettuce, beans……cabbages look awesome and my favorites, Red Malabar Spinach are thriving. My potatoes haven’t been dug this year either. What happens to them? Do they make more potatoes or do they rot in the ground? I’m curious too…..
The Nasturtium, Moonflower and Red Morning Glories are still doing well. I will probably try and coax some of the above for as long as I can. Will probably set up my cold frame soon. Some of my best plants grew in the cold frame last year.
Planning to do more edible landscaping in the spring. Will keep you posted on that!
By the way, I’m in middle TN. It is getting cold at night now..
Elaine ransom says
Here in SE British Columbia prob U.S . Z 3 , the tomatoes are ripening in the basement and despite numerous nights hitting 25–28F the Swiss chard is looking better(grasshoppers a summer problem) and winter storage cabbages still filling out more. Beets will be harvested as well as the cabbages in the next week or two. Lots of clean up left til spring when nature will have done a good share of the work for me.
Elaine ransom says
Different Elaine, different part of the continent
Tammy says
I’ve put everything to bed but for the lettuce in the cold frame, which I’ll grow into late December, and the mint, chives, and pak choi. I dug up some of the basil and brought it inside, where it’ll usually give me a few more months of occasional use. I’m glad I cleaned up the vegetable garden because we have a lot of leaf mulching yet to do!
Theresa says
Just cleaned up the raised beds in my zone 4b veggie garden. Left behind the parsley, rosemary, zucchini (still going!) celery and swiss chard. Brought in my green tomatoes and am looking for a chutney or relish recipe. But first, have to get dinner going ….. Company is coming.
Susan in S.W.Mass. says
I haven’t finished gathering the Sage, Cat Mint or Lemon Balm. The Horse Radish is going to over winter in the ground this year. I’m told it will develop more fire that way, hope so. Still getting Yellow Squash. And I’ll hang the remaining Grape and Cherry Tomatoes by the root ends in the basement and let them ripen on the stalks.
Marlyn says
I harvested the last of my beets yesterday. I’d picked the remaining tomatoes and green beans the day before. I still need to remove the plants, but prefer to wait until the bean leaves have dried a bit, in order to more easily release the vines from the string trellis. Then I can take down my fence, roll it up and store for the winter under my deck. I don’t care now, if the deer come a visiting in the night. Two of my raised beds still need the newspaper covered with shredded leaves treatment. Maybe later this week when they say it’ll be 50 degrees.
Linda says
Zone 9 Upper Northern CA. Garden is half cleared. Final okra picked this week. Still getting the occasional pink tomato; not fond of green tomatoes. Hub pulled the wonderful pole beans 2 weeks ago –a bit premature in my estimation. Still have sweet potatoes and white potatoes to dig. Planted out some good broccoli and mustard starts last week. The chard is doing great yet. BTW, this chard is 3 summers old. I neglected to pull it the first fall and it sprouted back up the following spring. Not a beautiful plant, still tasty. I left it on purpose the 2nd fall and it fell over looking dead. BUT it sprouted the 3rd spring AND the gnarly, horizontal stem rooted and sent up 4 additional beautiful chard plants. Wonder if they will make it another year yet?
Michelle Flannery says
I am lucky to live in a temperate zone where I am able to garden year round. My garden beds never sleep. They nap sometimes, but they never sleep. Right now we are still harvesting a variety of peppers. They will produce well into November. Our fall and winter garden is well underway with collards, Napa, green, and Chinese cabbage, broccoli, and radicchio. although we love them, we chose not to grow any rutabagas or kohlrabi this year. And of course, we have about 100 lettuce of different kinds.
Martey Costello says
Still have kale, collards, chard, lettuce, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, cilantro, chives, and parsley! It’s the most wonderful time of the year….
Migs Murray says
Well, I’m in a different season to you there but have read and taken note of much you’ve posted here. It appears to be paying off. I have a very small area that gets all day sun and it’s concreted. Not being muscled enough to break it all up, I read everything you’ve said about raised gardens and went for that. My word!!! I planted 3 different tomato plants, transplanted some perpetual spinach I had in a pot and planted a variety of seeds. Three weeks later all the seeds are up. Climbing beans, dwarf butter beans, sugar snap peas, radish, lettuce, parsley, coriander…all up and looking lush. I have potatoes on pots, as well as strawberries, capsicums and chillis. I have also potted a dwarf peach tree and a dwarf orange tree. I’m very excited about it all and looking forward to the upcoming bounty.
So thank you for all the ideas and advice. They’re all at work down here in NZ. 🙂
Leslie D says
Hi Kevin,
Love your newsletter. I still have small, yellow tomatoes ripening daily. They are sweet – like little plums almost, and nice in salads. The kale, rosemary, sage, chives, and parsley are going strong (no frost yet here), even the basil has survived thus far, and a cabbage has produced two small heads for harvesting. Some of my roses are still blooming beautifully, having survived the yearly onslaught of rose beetles.
I’m so happy to hear how other gardens are doing. It gives me good tips and new ideas. Thanks.
Ann George says
Wouldn’t dream of spanking you Kevin! You take as long as you like! Here in the north of Scotland I can only read with envy of the wonderful things your other followers are growing and harvesting! My poly tunnel has the winter brassicas growing, courgettes finished there now. Outside in the raised beds I have some more winter brassicas, no, I don’t live on cabbage but my hens do love it! Otherwise not a lot else doing in the veg line. I have one bag of potatoes to empty and the onions and shallots should keep us going until around Christmas. In the flower garden the oriental poppies are on their second flowering of the year but not a lot else in bloom. I love seeing round yor garden, with or without cocktails! Keep up the good work.
Tiffany says
At the risk of causing slight jealousy….we eat from the garden year-round. I have to build in seasons of rest and/or cover crops or I’d destroy my soil. I’m in East Tennessee, zone 7 heading towards 8 thanks to global warming. I’ve successfully had brussels sprouts, broccoli, carrots, kale, collards, turnips, beets, leeks, parsley and more with no protection, and if I add row covers I can enjoy lettuce and spinach, among other things, as well. I definitely downsize in winter, but I don’t stop! As for warm season stuff that is still kicking, we’ve still got tomatoes, peppers, luffa gourds, tomatillos, and herbs galore coming in where we haven’t made room for cover crops.
Sharon Conlon says
I still have loads of basil, parsley, cilantro, fennel, lemongrass & others. Also, a bunch of huge green toms, peppers, chard, broccoli & some beans. Last week I steamed red sweet peppers, beans, chard & broccoli together. Added a little salt & butter. Awesome flavors! Dug & steamed the fingerling potatoes with basil & parsley. Yum! Going to pull the egg plant this week. Have Asian “Magic” squash coming late. Some animal ate 4 others & egg plant. Didn’t get my carrots or parsnips in. Next year hopefully. Still have lavender, iris & various bulbs to plant. Lots of perennials to cut back. Leave phlox, Agastache, sunflowers & others for the birds to eat. Need to prune roses so they will continue to bloom for a while. Usually till Xmas if it’s not too cold. Can’t wait for Spring!
Ann Honer says
In northern Illinois, I still have 1 cherry tomato plant, with a bunches of part ripe tomatoes.
I have kale, beets, swiss chard, lemon verbena, a few onions, that I missed, starting to grow again and yes, a hedge of flat leaf parsley!
Debbie says
I live in east-central IL and usually I have fall plantings of kale, beets, lettuce and swiss chard. That didn’t happen this year. We have had very hot and dry weather since mid-August and I couldn’t keep up with the watering! There is always next year!
paula K says
Cold Frame Frustration~~ Trying to get the fall/winter lettuce to sprout in the cold frames…planted seeds three times so far, temps were nice so i left the lids up the first two times…thought i saw tiny lettuces and then nothing….one morning there was a huge Deer hoof print IN the cold frame. Lesson learned, replanted and have lids cracked about two inches. seeing tiny lettuce sprouts again so fingers crossed! Cant wait to try the marmalade cake.
Paula Mann-Shropshire says
Colorado can be a huge gardening frustration. Our first frost, and sometimes snow, can come in early September. This year we were lucky. Here in Ft. Collins our first frost came with our first snow last Thursday night. I’m gardening on a tiny suburban lot (and I DO mean tiny) and I had to pull up still-green plants because we’ve been growing in 40-gallon stock tanks and I finally purchased cedar raised beds to give myself a little more room. Nonetheless, I enjoyed harvesting basil and tomatoes that were growing close to the south side of our house up until Thursday. Crazy! I had planted some late radishes which also had to come out to make room for the new beds. No luck for me this year with the cabbage family. Come to think of it, I NEVER have luck. If the cabbage moths don’t annihilate it, the flea beetles get it…sigh. Must study up on that over the winter and I do plan some serious companion planting next year. It’s such a joy to follow you around your home and garden. Thanks so much!
badger gardener says
My beds are all tucked in except for the corners where I left carrots and German beer radishes. I’m not going to leave the carrots all winter since the rabbits ended up getting them last year when I tried that. I am going to let them go through a few frosts though. I still have parsley and sage in the herb bed. I already froze lots of parsley but need to get to the sage.
Today I slow roasted pounds of cherry tomatoes per you recipe. I liked them so much last year that I made sure to make more this time so I can have some into winter.
Lisa says
My garden doesn’t ever go fully to bed. ☺ Not only do I have multiple plants still producing goods, but I also just planted (this weekend) several varieties of cold hardy greens that will continue to grow under a row cover even when the surrounding ground is frozen and blanketed in snow – ranging from inches, to feet. In my zone 5B garden there are years where I can get greens to grow past Christmas and sometimes into late January. February is nearly lifeless in the garden, but as soon as March rolls around I’m breaking up the frozen soil to plant cold hardy greens again! In my zone you have to take advantage of cold weather crops; we in October and the last frost isn’t until mid-to end of May. That leaves only June, July, August and Sept – 4 months as the only frost free months a year. Not long enough for me so I use covers combined with plants that tolerate the cold to more than double the growing season.
Lisa L.
Lisa says
Edit to my own post – the 4th line from the bottom should say “we GET OUR FIRST FROST in October”. Somehow the words between ‘we’ and ‘October’ didn’t appear in my original post.
Dale says
Here in Boulder Colorado I picked the last of my kale, spinach and swiss chard before covering with leaves (and fencing to keep the leaves from blowing away in our Chinook winter winds.)
Our first season with hoop house picking spinach, kale, chard and lettuce that love the moisture and have survived freezing temps but nothing yet below 25 degrees. We will see how it goes.
Also have miniature cherry tomatoes, lemon grass and a few herbs in the south facing windows.
We should have tomatoes by Thanksgiving.
As always I read your posts as soon as they come in!
Sheri MacDonald says
I’m in north Phoenix, and my broccoli and cauliflower sprouts are going into the ground tomorrow. I learned last year that they grow in really cold weather (the week of freezing overnight temps after Christmas put on huge heads under frost cloth ). And my first- year asparagus made it through the hot summer and is putting on more growth finally. And round 2 for tomatoes – they started flowering a few weeks ago – just when I thought the plants had died. Oh and I’m going to plant lettuce and spinach for the fall / winter harvest. I’m a few weeks late but ill get one good harvest before cold. Yeah!
Love all the comments above – very inspiring!
Carole says
Southeastern PA: I just picked the last of my basil, made pesto, and froze it. Pulled up the last of the tomato plants–gave the remaining marginal fruit to the chickens. Harveswted peanuts are hanging to dry in the garage. Havested 2 sweet potato plants;more in the ground. Plenty of leeks in the garden. Sweet and hot peppers still growing. Broccoli picked a couple of weeks ago is now growing a new head! Planted more lettuce and radishes; bought 6 mil clear plastic to protect crops in late fall/winter as needed.
CF says
No frost yet, so parsnips are still in the ground!
AmyO says
Not much left to clean up here…my veggie gardens are so small, but there are still a few tomatoes hanging on and perhaps some spuds to dig. It’s my flower beds that are screaming at me to come clip back the Hosta, pull those last few weeds, spread the chopped leaf & pine needle mulch around……you know that voice emanating from deep in those lovely gardens you have, don’t you?
Bethe says
Out here in Sacramento our warm California weather keeps me busy still with summer veggies. Picking 3 baskets of Black Cherry Tomatoes every few days and my Pesto Basil continues to grow and has never bolted. Gypsy yellow sweet peppers and the familiar green peppers continue to bloom and set. The rest of my summer garden has gone to bed. I have planted (and they popped up yesterday) English peas that in March of 2014 will provide the best early Spring eats ever. I also planted the vining sweet peas that will provide fragrant Spring bouquets. Next to go into the ground (all raised beds by the way) is the Oregon edible sugar pod peas, Vigorous vines keep me busy. I love the change of seasons………
Paula Wolff says
About 3 towns down the road from you, I’m still picking tomatoes and bell peppers. And my parsley is still robust. Have to get the remains of all of them today or tomorrow, since it sounds like frost may be on the way.
Behold says
Cleaned up the veggie garden this past weekend. All that’s left is a couple of beets that will probably get eaten this week and some carrots which I’ll be pulling up soon. Also picked some crabapples (the larger type than you have in the Serpentine Garden) for jelly and liqueur to be made this week. Still need to harvest some herbs before the frost hits here on the NH seacoast. Still picking raspberries.
Karen says
What a beautiful fall here in Michigan. First frost is scheduled to occur in the next week. Just picked the remaining eggplants yesterday. Peppers came out of the garden too: poblano, jalapeno, green, cayenne, italian frying. Early in the year they looked like they weren’t going to make it, but then rushed to the finish. Garlic has gone back in for the new season, along with a few green crops in the newly devised cold frame we’re trying. The broccoli is still shooting off those babies that easily add up to a full head when picked. Beautiful leeks and carrots will stay for awhile with leaf and straw protection to be dug until January. The self seeded tomatoes from last year’s crop are still offering up additions to the salad bowl and hopefully can be protected with some cover for a bit. Kale. chard and collard greens are hearty and contined to be used for juicing, salads, soups and stews. Mixed lettuces and arugula are still beautiful and parsley and late planted cilantro were gorgeous when picked this morning. The green onions are still plentiful and we are hopeful that with a little covering, the late summer crop of carrots and beets will continue on for awhile. Still have red and white potatoes and sweets in the ground.The tomatoes were not the best this year (blight) and the pumpkins were a blatant failure(one red french pumpkin which we’ll gladly eat) but the season has been extended and we’re busier than ever trying the use and store the plenty. When all is said and done we are going to experiment and plant field rye to bolster the soil. Together with the compost, leaves, and manure we obtained, we’re looking forward to an even better season next year. Couldn’t ever put a price on the value of gardening, knowing the food outside your door without chemicals is the best you can get; the exercise requires no equipment besides a shovel and a hoe, the Vitamin D is free, and the therapy requires no couch!
Diane from Boston says
Yesterday I cleared out the broccoli plants (which did valiant duty all summer, providing a small crop every three days or so), the Fairy Tale eggplants (harvested the last of them), and the tomato plants. I picked off two huge bowls of tomatoes as I pulled the plants, so my last batch of sauce will be going into the freezer tonight. I am finally out from under the tyranny of the endless tomatoes. FREE AT LAST! Next year, I’m planting only four (this year, I crowded in eight and had to crawl under the rainforest-like canopy to pick them)! My co-workers loved it, though, as they were the lucky recipients of the bounty.
Vicki says
Michigan’s thumb here and I’m waiting for a couple of frosts for my brussels sprouts.
They are smaller than usual also, but seem to be making up for that with quantity.
Most of the garden is put to bed but I am still picking chard, kale, leeks and kohlrabi. Garlic is in for next year (thanks for the reminder, I almost forgot)
I also planted a late row of a french heirloom variety of lettuce that is doing very well and am experimenting with a fall planting of an English heirloom variety of early purple sprouting broccoli.
It is supposed to be a frost hardy, ‘winter over’ plant that puts out sprouts in early spring.
I expect our Michigan winter will put it to the test so am planning a heavy mulch and covering of shredded leaf and last lawn clippings.
Really enjoy your newsletters…thanks for sharing your life with us.
Sabrerocket01 says
I just bought some Brussel Sprout plants… Yes we just hit 38 last nite in NE Tenn also planted some cabbage… Each year is a discovery – what I did right… what I did wrong>>>
Kate says
My garden was not very productive this year. I’m done outside. I brought my herbs and geraniums in for the winter. However, I’m currently adding shelves to one of my large windows.Hopefully, the shelves will be chock full of geraniums and African violets down the road.
Kate
Margi says
After our tomatoes failed here in the North Georgia mountains from too much rain and too little sunshine, my husband planted dill seed and we are waiting as long as possible before frost (possibly later this week) to harvest it. He bakes and sells onion dill bread at our summertime Farmer’s Market so he’s hoarding it for that. I’d rather have baked chicken and garlic with lots of dill weed on it now.
Linda says
After a summer of tomatoes, we picked and donated 100 pounds to the foodbank. Even our friends and neighbors are tired of tomatoes. Who would have thought that 8 plants would yield so much! The garlic is waiting to emerge, and hope it will produce as much as this year. The kale is going strong and small side cabbages are forming on the stalks I left from earlier picked red cabbage. Cilantro will have to be picked this week. We’ll leave the August planted beets and carrots to harvest in the next month or so.The rest of the tomato vines will be picked this week. Don’t know if I’ll try to save any more. I’m pretty tired of them. Already have over a years worth of them, canned and frozen whole, stewed, and reduced to paste as well as salsa. I’ll let the garden rest until spring planting with an extra deep covering of compost. Not as spry as I was at 70.
Brandon says
I just moved into the city of Reading, PA and I went crazy with potted plants. I have had great success with basil, parsley, lettuces, apple mint, and oregano. I was able to make tons of pesto to freeze and even tried some parsley pesto which I use for some different recipes.
I even had a pomegranate tree and a fig tree in large planters on the front porch which did fantastically well.
Unfortunately, with limited space I will not be putting much to rest this year.
Kevin, I was wondering if you have ever heard of what to do with silver curry. I bought it and it did very well, however I have no Idea what to do with it.
Patricia says
I pulled mine all up because I did not think they were going to do anything. I planted these in the winter sow garden. The stalks were all about 2 inches thick. They were at least three feet tall but produced nothing. Going to try again next year.