Garden, Farewell

When I plant my garden, I talk with the plants.  First, I welcome them to the garden, introduce them to their neighboring plants.  They are warned against the rabbits and deer who after lo these many years, still have not gotten the message that meals and snacks are plentiful in other parts of the yard.  I assure the plants they will be well cared for and thank them for all they will provide this season.  During the summer, I frequently encourage them, saying, "Good job!" when seeds burst into plants or plants put forth flowers, then fruit.   When I pick the tomatoes or beans or dig up the potatoes, I say, "Thank you, God, for the garden."  

The vegetable garden is pretty much in the driver's seat as far as when the show is over for those plants.  We enjoy the bounty as long as it continues, never taking it for granted.  In my opinion, nothing tastes better than something which goes directly from the backyard to the dinner plate.  With the last of anything, I always feel simultaneously sad and hopeful: sad that the growing season is never long enough here in Minnesota, hopeful that the soil will rest and replenish sufficiently under layers of snow to gift us in the next cycle.

This year, the deer decimated the pumpkins (stinkers) although I did snatch one from their greedy jaws and it's sitting in the front yard decorative array.  The zucchini were done mid-summer.  The squash plants didn't do well; about a half-dozen mini-pumpkins are in the house.  So a couple weeks ago I pulled up the vines and said farewell to the eggplants.  We'd used the potatoes late in the summer, including making a delicious potato salad for grandson Jameson's first birthday celebration.  The tomatoes were plentiful enough to can some; make tomato soup; and just eat them in salads, BLTs or salted with some of the cucumbers for a snack.  Gradually I untied the vines from the stakes as the leaves wilted and pulled them out, tossing them into a wooded area beyond the fence where the critters can feast on them and the few green tomatoes still hanging on for dear (or deer) life.

Today I took off the final 2 tomatoes, brought in a couple larger green ones, and pulled out the remaining vines.  The herbs are still going strong and I'm going to leave them, as they tend to do well until we get a good, solid frost.  I'm unwilling to wait for that to dig out the carrots, however, so with thanks, I harvested them today--what is predicted to be the last nice day for quite a while, with snow flurries on the horizon for the weekend.  This is Minnesota, after all.

Yes, most of these carrots are on the tiny side.  No, I don't thin them out and Yes, I know you're supposed to, but somehow I can't bring myself to pull out anything that sprouted.  The tiny guys are very delicious in winter soups and stews.

I think I'm going to try some container gardening while we're in Florida this winter!

As far as the flowers go, the weather has been mild enough that very few of the annuals and perennials have died off.  The hosta leaves are still green.  I usually leave the annuals and perennials over the winter for some backyard interest and for the birds to pick the seeds off the plants.  Once the hostas die, I will cut them back.  Over the years I've found it's much easier in the spring to clean up the beds for the new shoots if the leaves from the previous year are gone.

 I'd been gradually emptying the flower pots when the flowers basically gave up the ghost.  Today I finished all but 4, leaving the dragon wing begonias next to the garage and two begonia plants that still look very healthy on the front step.  Their neighbors are a couple bursting with blooms mums; a flowering kale; 3 pumpkins; a green gourd and an orange striped gourd.  They'll hopefully stay through Halloween, maybe into November.  Then I'll hope for a warmer November day when I can string the Christmas lights on the shrubs and haul out the mechanical deer.  

So once again, and in farewell, thank you, God, for the garden.