Danger zone!

Guess what threatened us this week? If you guessed freezing temps, you are right! Although I don't think we have actually reached any yet. I "wrapped", "tucked in", "blanketed" the middle bed (yes, the only thing that matters this time of season in my mind is MORE TOMATOES!)

10/3/12 Low: 37

10/4/12 Low: 30

10/5/12 Low: 32

There was even a little dusting of snow on non-ground items (cars, trash cans) yesterday morning (10/5/12).

So there you have it. First snow of season 10/5/12. First freezing temp 10/4/12.

Thoughts for next year

Late Sept

Beginning to wind down. Weather is really cooling off, which is so nice and welcome. It has been an incredibly hot summer. I'm pleased with how well my garden has done through the hot weather. Again, another plug for the watering system that was so simple and easy. 

I don't have final counts, but I have made roughly

5 quarts of fresh pico

10 pints of salsa

3 quarts of marinara

10 quarts of canned peaches (not from my garden, but Western CO)

1 gallon bag of apple chips (also from Western CO)

12 jars peach ginger jam

12 jars blueberry jam

12 jars strawberry jam

20 quarts of pickles

5-2 cup servings green beans frozen

pesto and chimichurri sauce

I found this fella when I was pulling out cucumber plants. My mamma will be so proud. She brought a whole can full of worms for my garden in the spring.

Cucumber trellis, with half of the plant removed.

Kale, kale everywhere!

Green beans took off over the last few weeks. I think they are enjoying the cooler weather too.

East bed

Center bed. The tomatoes are still going strong. I got prune crazy earlier this week and wacked off most of the cherry tomato vines outside of the bed. Alli & Sid picked up all the cherry tomatoes that fell off the vine and were rotting on the rocks in exchange for 5 candy corns apiece. I love child labor!

The dreaded squash plants. I've really just come to hate them. IF I choose to plant any next year, it will be only one...and not in a raised bed. And it will be a zucchini. To the left is the broccoli. It also likes this cooler weather and has been producing a lot of shoots.

East bed. Be gone cucumbers.

Hi there little watermelon that could!

One last pic of the mess of squash before I destroy it. Perhaps I will need a machete or a sickle to get through this!

No surprise! There is a ginormous part zucchini/part yellow squash hidden beneath all that mess.

Be gone squash nightmare! Oh hello pumpkin vines!

Alli REALLY wants to pick this guy and can't wait to go after him with a knife to turn him into a jack-o-lantern! I think I'm going to have to do some serious bribing to spare him the agony. I'm thinking I will offer her a few store bought ones that she can do what she pleases with.

Our 2 other pumpkins. Not quiet as big and beautiful.

And last but not least, the mess of tomatoes. But they are still filled with green ones, so I'm leaving them alone for now.

Mid Sept

I've reached that point later in the season when I just done have time, energy or motivation to even think about the garden, so it has gotten ignored. I muster up the strength to get out there about once a week to harvest. Luckily the sprinkler system is in place, so I can water with the press of a button on the way out in the morning.

Cherry tomatoes are out of control, climbing up the Blue Spruce.

Red tomatoes! Yum! Don't look too close or you might see that they have been on the vine too long!

East bed. Cucumbers must have run out of nitrogen. They are yellowing quickly. I should fertilize, but that might take a lot of effort. Ugh!

Our watermelon is like The Little Engine That Could. We've been rooting it along, so proud of how it did. All in all, its still pretty small, but I can't bear picking it and seeing what is inside yet. I have hopes that it is going to take off and grow up to be a big watermelon someday.

We only ended up with 3 big pumpkins this year. I was hoping for more, but such is life. I have no idea what the heck I'm doing when it comes to pumpkin. I'm pleased.

Kale. It looks like I know what I'm doing when it comes to growing kale. Now if I only knew what to do with it once it is harvested. Guess what everyone? More kale chips!

Looking west across the garden.

Pickles

My dear friend Shannon came over for a lesson in pickle making. 20 quarts later. Now the long 6 week wait to know if we did it right!

mid-late August

Whole garden

East bed. Cucumbers taking over the world! First planting of beans are the yellowing ones in the front. They seem to be done producing. I'm glad I planted a second planting a couple weeks later. Now I wished I would have planted a third. Note to self:  Consider pole beans next year.

Watermelon = happiness :-)

I can barely see under the cucumber trellis. Wished I would have made it taller.

Tomato mayhem! Back view of the middle bed.

Pumpkin vine is looking GOOD!

Baby pumpkins are now medium sized pumpkins.

The pumpkin vine is headed towards the compost bin!

Another couple of pumpkins. 

And little baby decorative pumpkins. You know, the ones the grocery store charges an arm and leg for...and you can't eat or carve them.

Finally something is growing on the trellis in the East bed...since the squash doesn't seem to need it.

Broccoli...in desperate need of harvesting!

Early August

Whole garden

West bed. Pathetic potatoes. Crazy squash!

Middle bed with my garden helper, Alli.

Tomato plant...taking over.

Toothless garden gnome.

She proudly harvested that onion.

White onions.

Cucumbers are taking their lead from the tomatoes and growing EVERYWHERE!

They are intertwined. Ugh.

Green beans.

Kale.

Watermelon.

Baby watermelon = happiness.

Under the cucumber trellis.

Baby pumpkins!

Loooong pumpkin vine.

Broccoli

 Well, I see the squash and tomatoes have met.

Harvest time!