My Garden's Last Gasp

I know it's the end of October, but I've been very lucky this year to have a garden that's still producing tomatoes and other good stuff this late in the year.  I've been wanting to plant my garlic and onions for next year, but I can't bear to pull out plants that are still giving fruit!  This past weekend, I picked more tomatoes, a few hot peppers, and leeks.  I still have to cut my swiss chard (it keeps raining on my plans!)

My leeks

The cherry tomato plant that keeps on giving!

In addition to our weekly food delivery, we've been able to eat mostly local produce all summer and fall.  Some foods just can't be grown locally, but I've enjoyed the convenience and freshness of eating food minutes after I've picked it from the plant.  I'm going to miss that over the winter.  Maybe next year I'll plant a little plot just for my son, with strawberries or other yummy fruits or vegetables that he'll get to call his own!

Home Again and a Garden Full of Goodies

We arrived home from the cottage this afternoon to a hot, hot house and with a cranky, cranky little boy.  We had breakfast this morning at a small restaurant so we wouldn't be stuck cleaning right before leaving, and a helpful patron took a lovely (and the only) family photo of all of us.

Quite the handsome group, if I do say so myself!

After arriving home and getting everything in order, I sneaked out to the backyard to check on my garden.  We had a neighbourhood kid come over and water for us while we were gone, and she did a great job.  Our plants flourished despite the heat. 

Some of my kale

The tomato and fennel plants need some tending

Some jalapeño peppers

The green beans I picked, and went straight to my neighbour

I've got a lot to blog about this coming week.  Menu plan goes up tomorrow with some healthy, post-vacation meal ideas, a review of Boston Pizza's gluten free crust, as well as a review of the place we rented in Rice Lake, Ontario.  For now, I'm off to watch the first installment of the Harry Potter series on TV with my husband, and do nothing but relax!

Look at all the green goodness...

I mentioned a while ago that I was going to expand my measly little garden a bit this year to try and supplement the food share delivery we get during Spring, Summer and Fall.  All the rain we've been getting has been good to my garden.  Here are a few shots of where it's at!

My expert gardener

Fennel

Kale

Green beans and different varieties of hot peppers

Hot banana peppers

Basil, Parsley, Cilantro and Rosemary

Garlic and leeks

Garlic

Tomatoes

Green Peas

Eggplant

Mini Tomatoes

Can't wait until everything is ready to eat!  The bok choy I already pulled and cooked it with the chicken dish in this week's menu.  I'm looking forward to plucking the first plump pea pod right off the plant and adding it to a nice fresh summer salad!

Garden Planning Update

A few months ago, I posted THIS review of the Groorganic garden planner, because I planned to grow some of my family's vegetables this summer in addition to a weekly produce delivery we'll be receiving beginning in two weeks. Most of the veggies have been planted, so I thought I'd provide a quick update of what I'm hoping to successfully grow this year:
-green beans
-green peas
-hot banana peppers, chili peppers and habanero peppers
-basil, parsley, rosemary, oregano, cilantro and chives
-leeks and green onions
-garlic (planted last fall)
-three varieties of tomatoes
-bok choy
-kale
-eggplants
-swiss chard (when the bok choy comes out)
-chamomile flowers for tea

We'll see how it goes.  The garlic looks fantastic since I planted it last fall and it had all winter to establish roots.  Last year was a really hot, dry summer, so my tomatoes were few and far between, but I'm hoping that this year will be better.  There's potential for my garden to expand, but I tried to pick fairly simple things to grow- nothing that needs too much space or requires strong trellises to grow.  Only the pear really climb, but they're so light it's easy to support them.

Looking out at my garden now, with all the rain, everything looks lush and green.  Hopefully by the end of the summer, there will have been the right mixture of sun and rain to grow strong, delicious herbs and vegetables!