September In The Garden!
What a change from the earlier months this summer. Rain started the month, ending the drought. The temperature dropped for a week. Everything surged quickly, as if it knew it had gotten a break. Since then, it has alternated with sunny and rain, the kind of weather the garden loves. And as the month ends today….it has been warm again (in the 70’s) the past few days.
How do you a garden is organic? 😉 The bugs love it…and I love random seeds that pop up, such as these Nasturtiums….in my Swiss Chard.
The green peas are growing!
My winter Swiss Chard is coming up nicely. This was earlier in September and is now about four times as big. In a few weeks I will cover it with a row cover. For now, the small plants have been amazing to harvest for tender shoots.
The pepper plant that doesn’t quit. Everytime I look over it is dripping in them. No idea how I grew such a plant….
Tiny, hand size watermelon. Sweet and 8 bites. Worth it. We got a few. Next year I have found a better choice (I hope) that produces melons in a much shorter time.
So one thing I lost in the hot, dry summer was many of my herbs. They fried in the small pots, and I just couldn’t water enough. Some I took and planted into larger areas. Those I knew would run (such as mints) I tossed. This tri-color Sage has multiplied many times now and is huge. It’ll keep on going, they don’t die often in winter here.
Always add in Ever Bearing Strawberries and you will enjoy them into September and often October…
The Cherokee Tomato keeps going. In the final days this month I picked the first ripe ones (they turn red where the green is).
Mid-September harvest of White Cherry Tomatoes and beans…
This little apple tree continues to provide in mid September but only has two wonderful apples left!
The Yellow Wonder Strawberries do even better as the weather is cooling this month – and look how big the berries are getting!
I harvested the few Scarlett Runner Beans that grew, and hopefully this will be next years seed.
I also harvested seed for Cranberry Beans.
Meanwhile…our little friend lives on happily in the greenhouse.
The Crabapple Tree is ripening. I leave them for the animals.
And yet more hot peppers….
In the middle of the month I picked most of the apples and with a few pears added in, I made a massive batch of applesauce and canned it.
The weather stations at work….
Sometimes you need a picnic of fresh strawberries. I am grateful we got the playground done during summer 🙂
The little frog that is happy in the greenhouse.
The Swiss Chard keeps growing, a win for a Fall crop!
Having Ever Bearers is what makes Fall so worth it!
What the boys love to picnic on 😉
Even as the month winds down the tiny strawberry flowers keep coming.
And at the end of the month, I picked those two last apples. It was a good first year for our orchard! It only encourages me to properly take care of my trees and know in coming years I will get so much more from them. The best investments in the garden are long-term 🙂
Fall is here and now my work for next year starts. More beds to dig, crops to cover, and plans to be made.