The garden season is nearly over but it refuses to go out without a bang-as in these pumpkin colored mums located in the Sunny Perennial Border near my vegetable garden. While I was snapping some pictures for another matter I thought I'd take the time to update you on the vegetable garden this early fall 2012.
'Chocolate' eupatorium (Eupatorium rugosa) blooms in the vegetable garden proper. It self seeded itself here and I just love the pretty white blooms in the garden.
Purple hull beans planted the first of August are bearing fruit. It is a race between them and the upcoming really cold weather to see how many beans we actually can harvest. These have been fun plants to grow and my idea to sow them on 1 August was spot on.
1 August was also when I sowed pea seeds. Unfortunately pea seeds are a kind of seed that does not germinate well if they are not super fresh. I had to go and buy a bunch of pea seeds and start all over when I realized (about the end of August) that my initial sowing of peas was not going to grow. I wound up sowing three kinds of peas for a total of about 200-300 pea seeds. I think I may have gone overboard. The peas on the right are snow peas so the whole pod is edible and is normally eaten whole. The shorter peas on the left and in the middle of the bed are shelling peas. I am pleased with how well they have grown even with the late sowing. Our first freeze is not due until about the middle of November so I think these peas will be good to go until then. Frosts should not harm the pea plants but will take out the purple hull plants.
For the rest of the vegetable garden I have pretty much cleaned it up. All cucumbers and squash have been removed. Blueberries bushes were also moved. There are still a couple of tomato plants growing well in the garden but the majority of them were removed in September when they pretty much died. I also sowed carrot seeds in August and they are growing super well. I think carrots are one of my favorite vegetables to grow....
in the garden....
How goes your vegetable garden?
Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden
Your garden looks snug and ready for winter. We just got a cord of wood delivered and stacked it last weekend. Did you hear that we had an earthquake in Maine last night?
ReplyDeleteI did! It has happened before when I was a teen and I still remember it well. This one brought back those memories. A cool thing but not if there is any damage!
DeleteLove the color of your mums. Seems all of mine have met their end. Too costly to replace. Your garden looks great. I planted carrots [a new kind] & they don't seem to be doing too good. Still getting a bell pepper now & then. Sweet potatoes are everywhere.
ReplyDeleteWow, surprised you still have something in the veggie garden. Those mums are beautiful!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat gardens! I have been toying with the idea of getting Chocolate Eupatorium, sure is stunning this time of year.
ReplyDeleteWhat a pretty mum! I didn't realize Chocolate Eupatorium blooms this time of year--hmm, another plant to add to my wish list:) I haven't written much about my vegetable garden this year, because it really didn't do as well as some years. The green beans produced well as usual as did the beets, but so many other things suffered from the drought...or squash bugs, ugh. I did try to plant some rainbow chard and late squash in August, but neither of them did well either. I've pulled a lot, but it's time to do a final cleanup soon.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you are keeping up with the veggie garden chores. Ready to rest for winter but still a few things hanging on. Garden doesn't really ever totally sleep anyway!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that pea seeds needed to be fresh when planting. That is good to know! I have just planted some peas in my fall garden, but I harvested my purple hulls in August! Didn't realize I could have sown some more at that time! Vegetable gardening is still a trial-and-error experiment for me. Glad to hear about your vegetable garden.
ReplyDeleteThose mums are stunning! I pulled all my tomato plants but 2 last weekend. Still have cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, beans and carrots. I have not pulled my okra yet as it is still putting out blooms but it will not have time to produce okra much to my displeasure. It was the best ever this year, in production and taste. My corn is gone except for what is in the freezer. I got a spot ready today and will get the garlic in it tomorrow and maybe dig more potatoes. Oh I also do still have a winter squash growing and 2 each of summer squash and zucchini. Cukes are gone. My birds eat quite a lot of stuff outta the garden.
ReplyDeleteYup the night of the earthquake when you was in school David said he felt it but it was my bowling night and we had gone to Betty and Norm's after and Jackie was there also and we all ran to the door to look down at the house Betty rented out as she tought the furnace had blown up. I thought it was a train. Jackie was the one that figured it was an earthquake. Neither David or I heard a thing this time and Terri-Lynn could not believe we did not hear it. This one was a little stronger than that other one but in a different area. Fairly close to Dawn. Oh my I am winded tonight. Sorry.
Old peas, hummm, I gotta say, I made a mistake years ago and ordered a 5lb bag from Johnnys and that is what I used this year. I still have nearly half a bag full. I have put some in a pot inside before planting outside just to make sure they will sprout and they have, knock on wood.
The peas will even withstand light frosts. Snow peas are my favourite.
ReplyDeleteI still have parsley , mint, mustard greens and root crops like carrots and potatoes that I'm leaving in the ground until next spring. The mint and parsley will come back but the mustard greens will die.
Love that photo of the mums, so cheery.
Love the colorful mums. The veggies (my pumpkins) are pulled here even though the weather is still warm.
ReplyDeletePlanting garlic and still have greens and carrots...ripping out the beans this weekend maybe and looking to see if peas grew at all...soon all will be done here.
ReplyDelete