Around the Farm

It's been some time since I've done a garden update, and now on the first of September, it feels like the season is beginning to turn.  Yesterday it rained here for the first time in a few weeks.  That rain brought with it a coolness that we haven't felt until now, and darkness that ushered in early evening. 

The peas have died back.  The lettuce has bolted.  The garden is on a steady but gentle downward curve.  I am keeping an eye on our squash patches, hoping that a couple more weeks will be enough for them to mature.

The boys planted a number of squash plants (some ornamental) in the planter at the south side of the house.  These are spilling out onto the patio- Jack-be-littles, jack-o-lantern pumpkins, gourds....  They have a bit more frost protection here.

The potatoes plants are dying back too.  I hope to harvest them before the dead vines get lost in the weeds back there!

Every day or two, the Cub and I take baskets out and search for vine-ripe tomatoes in the kitchen garden...

and in the greenhouse.

Some of those tomatoes that I've trellissed and clipped have reached the ceiling!  It's been something of a jungle in there, so I pulled out the moth ravaged brassicas, and took the pruning shears to the tomatoes and cucumbers, which were spilling out everywhere.

The sweet peppers are coming on nicely...

Albino bullnose was a bit thin-walled on first try.  Perhaps if I let them grow out a while longer, they'll get thicker and sweeter?  I really don't know, since this is the first decent crop of sweet peppers I've had yet.

These patio marconi peppers will turn red when they're ripe, so that will take some of the guess work out of it for me.

Little cucs are coming on too.  If I'm diligent about picking them at the right size I m hoping to make some little 'cornichons' one of these days.

And there are more little melons showing up, at last!

Some of them have wound their way into the tomato vines, making trellises for themselves.

With the brassicas plants cleared out, there was room to plant some seeds for fall greens.  Some of these seeds came directly from the plants in the cold frame, like arugula, which I can't get enough of this year.

From seed to seed, it's nice to be able to harvest from one garden and sow directly into another.