snowy halloween garden

After a day of melting, this is my garden. We got about 3 inches of the white stuff on Saturday. Way less than other places to the west of us.

A big branch fell in the backyard that will need to be cleared with a power saw. I hope the weather warms and stays snow-free at least til next weekend so I can clean up my gardens. I was still picking peppers and basil last week and had done minimal clean up. I guess its time to prepare for winter!

happy halloween!!!

Skippy is taking it easy this Halloween!

halloween pumpkins

My mom has been asking me what to do with pumpkins. I like to keep them out for decoration until Halloween and then start cooking with them. Pumpkin bread and pumpkin soup are my favorites.

snow on thyme - much too early

My gnome who tends the thyme is shoveling out a dusting of early October snow. Much too early! Some places west of us got inches of snow. Ours melted by the time the sun rose to mid morning.

today's harvest

I picked the last of my cucumbers, eggplant, poblano peppers and cherry tomatoes, then pulled the plants out and added them to the overflowing compost bins. Broccoli continues to produce little side shoots. I picked two lemons from my Meyers lemon tree, which is still outside.

Today's project today was to clear out the cold frame, fertilize and turn the soil, then and put the top panels back on. We replaced the old ripped plastic on the panels with some nice new green house plastic that I got by mail order. My experiment this fall is a couple of fluorescent lights in the frame. I have a nice tray full of seedling greens and there isn't enough sunlight any more to support growth. Still nice and warm, so I will see what happens.

Belmont wild life

There seems to be an explosion of wildlife in suburban Boston. Maybe its just that I'm noticing it now and didn't for the past 20 years. But it seems like a new thing.

The other night I was looking out the bedroom door after dark and watched a fox run up the middle of road! Very thick fur, big plump tail, held straight out behind with a white tip.

Then the next night I was watching out the door again and I must have seen 5 rabbits cross the road. (OK maybe the same rabbit was going back and forth.) Later the screech owl was doing a quiet warble from across the road.

Today, Skippy and I went for a car wash. When we finished at dusk, there was a wild turkey in the lot by my car. Its a busy place with noise and bright lights. Skippy rolled his eyes at the bold turkey. I snapped photos then the turkey flew up into a tree to roost.

To top it off, just now I was looking out the window for no more than 2 minutes and 2 'coons ran across the road.

While I've seen rabbits and raccoons and turkeys in town before (not foxes or owls) its amazing to see so many, so easily. I'm glad they're finding habitat here!

today's harvest

I haven't been working in my garden much at all in the past couple months. My new business is keeping me very busy. The garden looks a bit unoccupied. Some weeds here and there. Little birds helping themselves. Old squash vines and corn stalks lying in the beds. But gardens can be very happy on their own. Late fall green are growing. And my harvest is still delicious. On Tuesday evening Skippy and I stopped by and filled up a bag with vegetables as fresh as they get.

I found one last patty pan summer squash, leeks, lots of small broccoli sprouts, potatoes, a few small beets, cilantro, mizuna, and arugula, a few small heads of lettuce, and a really heavy head of purple cabbage.

vacation

We had a fantastic weekend at the Inn at Crotched Mountain in Francestown NH. It was a relaxing weekend - we hiked and dined. They have a "dog-friendly" inn - Skippy loved it too. He ran in the big fields and swam in the brook. What fun!

They have a lovely backyard with several apple trees, a peach tree, and a nice vegetable garden.

Here are photos of the Inn and our hike nearby: Vacation slideshow

Here are photos of their garden: The Inn's garden slideshow. I look forward to a return visit in mid summer!

today's harvest

Today's harvest: lots of broccoli and green peppers and chilis. (I gave most of these away before I took this picture.) Also, a big leek, a Benning's green tint patty pan squash, red Thai hot peppers, and a couple beets.

I also harvested a nice big pear today. Still green. I hope it will ripen well. I have read that pears should be picked green and ripen off the tree. I hope this is right. I originally had 5 pears set on my 2 young espaliered trees in my community garden plot this spring. Three disappeared back in August. One disappeared last week. So with one left and cold weather setting in, I picked the last pear today. (I think the others were picked by passers by. Next year I will devise a net or extra fencing to protect them if I get more fruit to set.)

pumpkins on the steps

skippy

fall photos