Friday, October 16, 2015

Around the Fall Garden










The fall garden clean up has begun. We were blessed with beautiful weather last weekend, and I spent one entire day in the garden. Most of that time was spent cleaning up, removing plants, harvesting the last tomatoes (yes, I harvested tomatoes on Thanksgiving weekend), adding compost and manure to the beds, and tending to the fall/winter garden. By the end of the day, I was dirty and tired, but goodness I got a lot done.

Still growing in the raised beds are carrots, strawberries, and raspberries. We are expecting a frost and snow this weekend, so this will be the last few days of harvesting berries. The carrots get sweeter with a frost, so we are really looking forward to harvesting those as we need them over the next few weeks.

The tunnels and cold frame are doing really well. The cold frame has spinach and salad mix in it, and the tunnel has bush beans, Swiss chard, kale, beets, and carrots. The tunnels are hinged which makes getting into them so much easier than our experience last year.

Next up on the gardening to do list is to cover all the beds in leaves. I think by next week there should be enough on the ground to start raking them up, and piling them on the beds. Also next week, the garlic will go in the ground, and get a thick cover of straw for the winter. The strawberry bed will also get covered in straw, and the blueberry and raspberry bushes all need a little tending before winter fully arrives. And then the last thing I need to do is get covers on the tunnel frames on one of the other raised beds, so it is ready for an early spring planting.

Still lots to do in the garden before it gets covered in snow, but all of it connects me to this land, and to the food I eat, and it truly is work I love to do.

How are things around your garden?

35 comments:

  1. Lovely post that I (as always) have a great pleasure to read... Even through the screen, I think it connects me with you land and seasons so strongly printed in your garden.... Here we harvested the last apples on the tree of the new garden, and arrugula and some herbs, vervena, thyme and rosmarine. And the last strawberry also. Freezing is closed here too, and I'm sur I will harvest my two squash very soon.

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    1. Aw, thank you my friend. The garden definitely showcases the changing seasons, and at this time of year it is pretty stunning :)

      Sounds like things are going well in your garden too :)

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  2. Your garden is still so productive! I love your tunnels and cold frames! I really need to put those on the "must do" garden list!

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    1. Yes, still producing, not as much, but every bit counts, right? Thank you, I highly recommend both for extending the growing season.

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  3. Glorious what an abundant harvest you have had and continue to have Kim. Our Chickadees are enjoying the wilting sunflowers!

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    1. Thanks Camilla! Yes, we cut ours down, but put the heads around the yard for the birds, they are really enjoying them.

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  4. I am guessing the snow will be there soon, right? They are calling for a frost this weekend here with some flurries in the higher elevations (I'm not high in elevation...) I love that you spent the day being outside doing what you love :)

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    1. Yes, tonight maybe, but not enough to stay. We don't usually get full snow coverage until December, although Mother Nature can change her mind :)

      We do have a frost warning this evening, and flurries in the forecast, exciting!

      Thanks Karen, in the garden, connected to the earth, is one of my favourite places to be.

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  5. What a clever idea to have those tunnels hinged. It looks easy enough to get at all that garden goodness. Hope you enjoy the cooler weather coming our way this weekend!

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    1. Yes, Justin's idea, and it works so well. Thanks, you too!

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  6. Wow, we need to build covers for our beds next year! Amazing! Yeah, we've been trying to sneak in work here and there, but it will soon be crunch time. But like you, we are still eating from the garden and the cold weather stuff is doing wonderfully. Snow? Eek! Maybe I should check the forecast huh?

    Wishing you a wonderful week-end. xo

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    1. Yes, I highly recommend them for extending the season, they work great! Yes, it won't be a lot of snow, and it won't last, but it is coming :)

      Thanks Yanic, you too!

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    2. I just discovered your blog and I love it. When do you plant your covered beds to extend your season? I need to do this.

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    3. Welcome Lisa, thanks for stopping by. I plant in early to mid August. To give yourself a rough idea of when to plant fall/winter crops, you need your average first frost date, and then count backwards for the crops you are planting and plant based on how many days to reach maturity. You want your plants to be finished growing before the cold weather gets here, and then the season extenders allow you to harvest well into the winter.

      Does that make sense?

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  7. it's always a great pleasure to admire your beautiful garden and see all the love you sow inside !

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  8. Looking good! Love the change in the leaves and the photos of the entire garden. Looks like a magical cottage out of a storybook.

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  9. I love your tunnel - you have so much amazing food growing! It all looks so great. I love the shot of the chicken :) I can't believe the cold is on it's way so soon - I think I would feel the same way about all that work. I hope you guys had a great Thanksgiving! xo

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    1. Thanks Carlin, the tunnels are really great for extending the season, and getting lots of garden goodness right through the winter. Yes, that chicken ran into my shot, silly girl. Yes, the cold is coming, we have noticed a shift today, and the weekend is cooler too.

      xo

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  10. Your garden sounds like it is still producing so much lovely food for you :). Mine has many root crops, beetroot, turnip, carrot and potatoes still in the ground. I also have cabbages, cauliflowers, purple sprouting broccoli, leeks and pok choi growing in the garden and kale, broad beans and more pok choi in the polytunnel :). I need to get my garlic in in the next month too!

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    1. Wow, sounds like yours is still producing a lot for you too, that is awesome! Enjoy it all.

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  11. I always enjoy my visits here and seeing your beautiful photos.
    No garden here, but that may be a good thing since it would
    have drowned, but the pecans are starting to fall and I have
    a tree the squirrels missed!
    Enjoy a bright and beautiful weekend.

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    1. Thank you Tracey. Yes, all the rain would have completely flooded your garden. Pecans, how exciting, enjoy!

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  12. Your cold frames look great--what wonderful fall/winter greens (and more!) All of our fall greens died during the hot/dry 3 weeks in September.

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    1. Thanks! So sorry about your fall greens :(

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  13. Goodness your garden is still giving so much. Hinged tunnels sound like a good idea.
    I need to get going on preparing for winter, I neglected it last year and paid the price in the spring.

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    1. It is, and I am so grateful. Yes, the hinges are a good idea, only time will tell how well they hold up in the winter and snow.

      Yes, I always find fall garden work my least favourite, but in the spring I am so happy I did it :)

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  14. wow your autumn garden is looking amazing!

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    1. Thanks Aimee, it feels pretty good to walk around out there :)

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  15. I'm reading this a few days late, did you get that frost? That hoop house looks epic! The fall leaves are just gorgeous too! :) Big hugs!

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    1. Yes, we did! And a few flurries :) Thanks, I love my hoop house this year, I think it is going to work amazingly well.

      Hugs to you too my friend. xo

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  16. It seems incredible that all that will be covered with snow for such a long period in the Winter, and incredible that you may have had a little bit already. Your hinged tunnel looks brilliant. I was really excited to find an old, unwanted plastic tunnel/cloche type thing at the recycling centre for next to nothing last week, I snapped it up and have covered my late, late sown spinach and lettuce. And I'm curious about carrots. I had read or heard that a frost improves them before, but how long can they stay in the ground into frost season? And how late did you plant your 'Winter' carrots which are now in the tunnel? Are they still actively growing at this time of year for you or more just surviving happily until you harvest them? And that question would apply to your salads etc too please!

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    1. I know, it will be here soon. Oh that is exciting, what a great find. Lucky you :)

      Yes, carrots get sweeter after a frost. They can stay in the ground for a while uncovered, but if you want to keep them there over winter you have to cover them with a good layer of straw, so the ground doesn't freeze around them. We will eat the ones in the open beds before the ground freezes, and leave the ones in the tunnel for the winter.

      The carrots in the tunnel were planted back in August. The idea is you want them to be full grown by this time, as once the temperatures dip for good, they will no longer grow. So, yes they are just happily surviving until I harvest them :) And yes, same for everything growing in the tunnels and cold frame.

      Hope that helps my friend, any other questions do let me know.

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  17. I so love that your garden is still producing. Mine has been bedded down for a few months. Next year... Next year..

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    1. There is always next year :) At this moment I am still eating from the garden. The voles have reappeared again this year, so I am trying to eat it faster than them :)

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