Last Sunday, we got somewhere in the neighborhood of 8 inches of rain in one 24-hour period. The leaves are turning. And we've been frosted this week (a tad earlier than usual).It's all good!
But, with all the fuss I made about the garden last spring--all that unbridled Hope residing in the rows of seedlings nestled in my makeshift cold frame--what's happened since, now that low temps have called "time!" on most of my summer efforts?
Let's just say I'm glad for Safeway.
It wasn't really all that bad. However, there was that very late frost in the spring and it's clear we still have some nutrition issues. The red rock we live on can grow pines and oaks and manzanita, no problem. Veggies and other plants need quite a bit more help. I guess Peaceful Valley's Soil Builder mix will be my next crop. I skipped a year, thinking I could, but now I know...
Basic rundown:
*Tomatoes (always the priority)--First one ripened in mid-September--about two months late. That's because I stubbornly started over from seed (12 varieties) after that June chiller. I just harvested the last ripe ones from the loaded, but frostbitten vines today. I left a lot of greenies. In a few days I'll pick 'em and use 'em for frying! Best this year were the Sungold minis and Costoluto. I'm dropping the Black Krim, Black Tula (both enormous and heavy producers) and Marvel Green Stripe.
Pretty, but not my favorite flavors. Gardener's Delight was also nice. Don't know why, but the Persimmon and Brandywine--stars last year--didn't fare so well this time 'round. I'll give them another chance.*Tomatillos--Well, they sure are fun to look at. Haven't grown them in 30+ years. So pretty, with their little paper lantern-husks. Hm. I might have enough for one batch of green enchilada sauce.
*Carrots--We're building steam, here. Better than last year. Bunches of short, fat orange roots.
*Red onions--Small, but beautiful and tasty. Will try again.
*Garlic, shallots, leeks--Biggest disappointment. Planted last fall, they rotted before getting big enough to pull. More organic matter (air) in soil is needed, since they overwinter in wet conditions. I had visions of braided garlic hanging all over the place.
*Chard--Beautiful! Second year in a row we've grown lovely Bright Lights (multi-colored stems)--and not eaten any. Don't know why. Never quite makes it to the top of the list for dinner. Maybe this week.
*Lettuce--Planted last fall, we had nice mesclun (variety) all spring and early summer.
*Corn--We don't really have the space, but I planted a little block of yellow/white. Yield=3 yummy ears. Rethinking.
*Beans--The corn, however, served as the support for the pole beans. Worked fine until bean-picking time, when it's almost impossible to find the beans in the tangle of the corn and bean stalks. Best beans this year=Yard Long green beans. Very fun and very tender to eat. My longest measured 27 inches. Next year, for sure (shooting for actual "yard long"). Blue lakes did fine, too, but were not as much fun.
*Sunflowers--Always fun, always awesome. We just let the birds have them, though.
*Zucchini--We grow it because, well, out of habit, I guess. We don't really like it that much. I may have "grown" the only zucchini plant in North America that didn't produce a single zucchini, but we weren't too unhinged by it. Unfortunately, our neighbor grew far more than she could use, so I still have a whole bunch of zucchini bread and grated zucchini in the freezer.
*Watermelon--Also disappointing. Tiny leaves. Not enough water, perhaps, and some soil problems, too. Cute (softball-sized) miniatures, though.
*Cantaloupe--We'll never know. Some hungry critter (raccoons?) ate them all when they were small.
*Cucumbers--The "Muncher" variety did great. Beautiful, fat, tasty. We got one "Armenian" and no "Market". No explanation. They were side by side.
*Pumpkins--One. It's still out there, just starting to turn orange. Maybe a pie's-worth.
*Delicata and Butternut squashes--Zilcho.
*Peppers--A few jalapenos, which is still better than last year. They were planted all near the tomatoes that didn't do well, either. Suspicious.
*Eggplant--Again, better plants than before, but nothing to show for them.
*Asparagus--We have a couple more years before we can cut any.
*Artichokes--One, very small, very cute artichoke. But that's OK, because it's still a year before we
should get any at all.*Berries--All the berries are also still in "building" mode. We got a few strawberries. Blackberries, Blueberries, Boysenberries and Raspberries seemed to need more water, though the birds made quick work of what little harvest there was. Adjustments to be made in feeding and irrigating.
*The trees are doing very well. Cherry and apple trees might produce a little next year. The peach (four kinds on one tree) will need a couple more years.
I think I want to get a couple of grape vines and a feijoa bush next. Bare root, this winter.
That's one thing I like about gardening. There's always next year, so even when there are disappointments, planning has already mentally begun for the next chance to improve or overcome the previous efforts. Another part of the appeal is the cyclical nature of it. Soon, the garden chores will be over. Period. Nothing to do. And that is what makes it so much fun to start up again in the spring.
And next year, we'll need Safeway just a little bit less than we do this year.
