Fall Garden Journal 2017

I think this has been the worst gardening season I have ever had! And I thought my spring season was bad. Gosh it makes me want to just throw in the towel but I love to garden so I know I won't. And truly, I didn't give it the time gardening needs as I was stretched pretty thin with the Christmas season and my new soap biz.  

The weather has been so weird too. I know a portion of the USA is having extreme cold but we are having warmer than usual temperatures. Some plants seem confused, not sure what season it is. I saw a fruit tree budded out and beginning to bloom and it still had most of last summers leaves on it. Some people are having amazing growth in their gardens too because of the warm temps. (see pic of lettuce above someone sent to me)

So here's a run down of my garden areas though it's not much different than what you have seen before.

The only sweet potatoes to make it through the summer where in this trough. And I just took this photo this week! Crazy that they are still growing. I will dig them soon. 

My other horse trough has a salad greens mix doing well in it. I have harvested a few times from this one.

Out front it's looking like spring. I have this tiny oregano somewhat sheltered under the sage beginning to grow. If you look closely, in the upper right area there are some tiny little sprouts of something. It will be fun to see what it grows into! Remember how last spring I just tossed a handful of various seeds out here and let nature take it's course? Several things went to seed so I'm sure this is from that original seed toss.

Here is a red lettuce seedling that I am happy to see. I have no clue what that green oregano looking thing is on the left there. I has made it's appearance before. It smells familiar but I can't place what it is. Slow growing flat little plant.

I still have one red cotton plant alive and blooming! Top and to the right are some of my plantain herb. Notice how the one is growing in a flat pattern instead of upright like it should. Very strange, I wonder what that means?

My two garden helpers are picking little pink vinca blooms growing under my peach tree.

This is my front yard bed. I couldn't decide what I wanted to plant here and ended up not planting anything at all. This bed has all sorts of problems because of the sub-soil and debris just inches underneath it and I really need to place raised beds on top of this area. It's almost a waste of time and resources to even try to get anything to grow here. But I have been successful a few times and one day the man of the house will put in some raised beds. 

Right after taking this photo, inspired by the beautiful weather and with my two helpers, this bed was planted with winter peas and red clover intended to be a cover crop. Stayed tuned to see how it grows.

My asparagus is still a little green, it should be dormant by now. Can you see the little red seed berries on it?

And this bed! This bed was planted four times! The first seeds that made it are on the left, beets. Next two plantings didn't come up at all. The final time I tried, I planted starts indoors and managed to get a few seedlings which are now planted in this bed to the right there....the tiny little things.....broccoli, brussels sprouts, swiss chard, and cilantro. I have no idea what the problem was. The seed just didn't seem to sprout or if it did something ate it and left no traces behind as soon as it emerged from the ground. I'm glad for the few that made it.

This was my Loofah harvest plus a few that matured earlier. 

Here's what they look like dried and peeled, ready to use.

Visit my new Soap Shop on Facebook!

I link at these parties.








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