sideyard aerial - the last photo before we move :-(

frost

We had our first frost last night at Rock Meadow. Right on schedule. The squashes, tomatoes and peppers have all wilted back.

harvest

starting up my new garden - finally ....

It's been a lot of work to move! Finally I am making some progress on my new garden. I think fall is a good time to be starting it, so I'm pleased with our timing.

Using string and stakes, today I marked out a space that I think would be good for my new garden. Then I moved the stakes. Then I asked my husband's opinion and we moved the stakes yet again. Its a big mowed grassy area and I want to maximize sunlight for the garden and still leave good grass space for other activities.

I have a bunch of little fall seedlings and I'd love to get them in the ground soon and protected with hoops and row cover. I have beets, spinach, lettuce, endive and escarole. I'd like to put up double hoops and see if they will overwinter and give us some nice March vegetables. This used to work well with my plastic cold frame.

Once I get the stakes settled, I'll bring in a load of compost and spread it over the whole area. I'll turn a small section where the fall seedlings will go. Then I'll plant and cover them with hoops and row cover. I'm thinking the row cover will deter the rabbits and deer. (Not sure - my first garden in deer territory.) In the spring, we'll put up fencing and turn the rest of the garden. I think spreading compost on the grass will allow it to break down over the winter adding some organic matter to the soil.

Anyway, that's the plan!

harvest

skippy's vegetable garden is moving

Skippy's vegetable garden will move soon.

The garden is at its peak, tomatoes ripening, big green basil plants, tall teepees of cucumbers and green beans. I am picking more than we can eat from this cute little garden. But, something else is going on too....

The cold frame is being taken apart and removed as we get ready to show the house to potential buyers. I wonder if someone will continue to maintain my little side yard garden? Or maybe it will be removed and replaced with grass. I wonder. It's been a productive area for me over the past 22 years - even though the amount of sun continues to go down as the trees continue to grow. I must have 1000 aerial photos taken over the years. It will be hard to say good bye....

But then, it will be exciting to start fresh and build a brand new garden! Skippy's vegetable garden will move to a big open area next to a pretty little pond. Our new house is only about 10 miles west of our current one. It's a bit further from Boston, a bit more rural. The back yard has big granite steps that wind down a slope through ferns and laurels and bring you to the flat open grassy area by the pond.

I am excited to mark out garden boundaries soon. I hope to turn the grass under later this fall and let it compost over the winter. Maybe I'll add some fresh manure to compost in the soil too. All winter I can plan, and then in the spring ..... ahhh, I can't wait....

suzie in the garden

Suzie had a fun walk through my garden the other day. She explored the shadows under the squash vines, hopped around on the sweet potato bed - and THEN - she found the radicchio! Ahh, the perfect vegetable...

She climbs up into the big leafy heads - each leaf is round, green and bigger than her, the perfect size to curl up in - and she snuggles into the shady inner part of the plant then settles down and begins to nibble. A bit of this leaf, a bit of that one. I think she would have stayed there all day....

A couple days later. I brought a few radicchio leaves home for her and she had just as much fun. She sneaked up on the pile of leaves and grabbed one. Then, quick as a rabbit, ran to the dining room with the leaf that was bigger than her. She alternated shaking it and eating it. That leaf didn't stand a chance against such ferocity (such cuteness...). She ate two entire leaves! (Yes, her tummy has been fine.)

(Unfortunately, my radicchio plants are almost all big green leaves now with tiny centers just beginning to form. Since it is so late in the season, they will probably bolt before they head. I was late planting it this year.)

today's harvest

Cucumbers! I love the crunch of lots of different varieties! I am also harvesting beans, chili peppers, lots of lettuce, and my first few tomatoes.

Suzie is home

Suzie is home! She sure is cute!

She's a 7 weeks old Portuguese water dog, all black just like Skippy. Very soft and fluffy. She has needle sharp baby teeth, but is learning fast how hard she can bite. She's a quick learner. She learned how to climb out of her baby pen in only a few hours. She learned to steal my shoes. And she's learned how much she likes garden lettuce, roasted squash, and potatoes.

Skippy and Suzie are getting along great - as long as Skippy has an escape route. She is pretty fresh. And I am amazed at how polite Skippy is. He seems to really love being with her and running along the meadow paths.

I have to admit though that I'm exhausted. Suzie has to brought out to pee every 2-3 hours at night. I can't wait til her bladder gets bigger!

winter squash arbor

My winter squash vines are growing by inches, or more, a day. They have topped my arbor and lots of fruits are setting. The Waltham butternut do best on an arbor since the vines are long and flexible.

I have five butternut plants growing on the left side of the arbor and, on the right side, four plants of different varieties: Hubbard Blue Ballet (a small fruited hubbard, whose vines are a challenge to train up an arbor as they are so thick), Orange Kabocha, Buttercup, and Delicata (this small vine has been overrun by the other three very vigorous ones).

Suzie comes home on Friday

Suzie is the smallest female of the litter. She is all black just like Skippy. We can't wait to bring her home on Friday afternoon. My dad has suggested that she should have a blog of her own: " Suzie's Flower Garden". We'll see if she is up to that!

today's harvest

I don't know how I missed my first zucchini! But it is a big one. I am making zucchini bread tonight. In addition to the zuc, my harvest included a pretty little eggplant, a yellow crook squash and a white patty pan squash, lots of lettuce and herbs, and a couple cukes.

broccoli harvest

My broccoli seemed to grow full sized heads almost overnight. Just a few days ago (it seems) the heads started to form. Little florets hidden in the center of the plant. And now - all of a sudden - I have three big heads! I harvested these yesterday. We ate one of the heads at dinner last night. I cut it into long section, stir fried briefly in a little leftover bacon fat with garlic, ginger root and a chili pepper, then added water and steamed just until tender. Yummy.

my how to videos

This spring I made another series of "How To" videos for eHow. They're pretty basic topics. Here's a list with links:
How to sow spinach seeds
How to sow pumpkin seeds
How to plant Black-seeded Simpson lettuce
How to raise romaine lettuce
How to transplant Romaine lettuce seedlings
How to grow butterleaf lettuce
How to grow from seed tape
How to plant carrots using seed tape
How to cultivate sugar snap peas
Is there a difference between sweet peas and sugar snap peas
How to sprout potatoes
How to propagate Habanero pepper seed
How to propagate marigold seeds
How long until marigolds flower from seed

These are videos I made last fall:
How to grow sprouted garlic
How to remove dahlias
How do I store dahlia tubers
How to harvest summer squash
How to pick squash
How to harvest chili peppers
The easiest way to grow leeks
How to save seeds
How to protect seeds with burlap
How do I plant pea seeds in the fall

the first summer squash of the season

Two beautiful yellow crooknecks!