The first day of fall has come and gone but we’re still here in the 70s in Vacationland and me and my plants are all confused. The chilly nights we’ve had have gotten me very excited for layers, squash mac and cheese and crunchy leaves~ But! There’s some garden clean up to be done before the true cold weather is upon us.
L: Due to all the rain we were left with back in June and some of July, a lot of these pots were pretty wet and rotten inside. I hope next year won’t be as damp but to avoid any soil-based infections and the like, all the pots were emptied and cleaned and ready for better soil. I let a lot of plants grow out of control and go to seed (vetch and clovers, lettuce and some herbs) but they’re going to be a great source of biomass for the back gardens.
M: The herb tower I snagged at an antique place near by was a great way to set up an herb station on a deck that was already overflowing with pots. I let the parsley, dill and cilantro run ragged since they didn’t seem all that happy with their homes. The oregano, mint, lemon balm and even rosemary did wonderfully and have had a few hair cuts since I cleaned the deck off.
R: A lot of herbs that I started thrived despite the wet weather and I was running out of space elsewhere for them so they populated this weird deck storage thing. The mints and lemon balm did the best while the calendula managed to put off 5 or so blossoms. The mallow next to the calendula keeps growing and growing but I think as the nights get closer to the lower 40s, they’ll give up and I’ll move them into a garden somewhere.
While it’s still warm, a lot of critters can be found in spots around the homestead. We have had so many dragonflies and meadowhawks buzzing around eating the plethora of mosquitos still hanging around. They’ve been fun to watch before sunset and some nights there’s at least 15 or more of them enjoying a meal together~
A lil garter snake has also been a new find and my first reptile of my homestead field guide~ [a recent update from new summer entries can be found here: https://ftepermaculture.com/2023/08/08/homestead-field-guide-summer-update/] My hugelkultur beds are still a new garden addition and there are some pockets in the mounds where you can see partially inside them. Perhaps this snake will stick around and take care of any mice that Potato or our traps miss~
While it still feels like summer to us, the calendar says some things are ready to harvest~ I’ve been harvesting green tomatoes every other day since it’s been getting down into the mid 40s at night so some half homegrown red sauces will be in my future. I’ve also been harvesting the abundance of greens that have enjoyed their first years in their hugel homes and have dried and blended them to create a Many Greens Powder. I’ve been really obsessed lately with niche vitamins and minerals found in plants and I’m excited to make a really beneficial green blend from my own garden. Along with greens, I’ve also started harvesting my red and orange amaranth. They have also done really well in the clay and bright sun and I hope the seeds I missed will overwinter and maybe greet me in the spring~
It’s nice to see the leaves changing and getting crunchy but I’m sad the summer is over. Having the winter off from gardening will be a nice break but there’s plenty to plan for with all the new things I want to implement next year.