Wrapping up the '23 Garden

We're nearly finished putting things by--canning, freezing, dehydrating--as we wrap up our 2023 gardening season.  The end is in sight.  We got the plots cleared just before the first snow (October 25th).  Matt was very diligent about winding it down slow and steady--and before the weather turned cold, wet, and/or dreary.  It makes putting the plots to bed so pleasant.  

An artichoke left to bloom.  10/10/2023

The garden was lively with birds during our last sunny workday.  I dug potatoes.  Matt built up the compost pile.  Black-capped Chickadees picked over the sunflower heads while a flock of Cedar Waxwings munched berries from the north hedge.  There were Blue Jays laughing and Crows cawing.  Juncos were flitting about.  The sun felt so warm and good.  It was a beautiful autumnal experience.

Matt and the 30-inch Carrot.  :)  10/24/2023

The metaphorical changing of the seasonal guard has taken place.  The garlic has been planted for next year.  The carrots have been covered with leaves to overwinter.  The greenhouse is empty save for the rosemary bush, also cozied up under a blanket of leaves.  We've never overwintered rosemary before.  We shall see how it goes.  The dehydrator is working on the last load.  The yellow tree is quite empty, though the apple tree still has a full array of leaves.  The rain barrel is drained and stored until spring.  The green tomatoes are boxed up in the spare room to ripen.

Cooking up veg for dinner--including homegrown carrots, cabbage, and peppers.  10/31/2023

The 2023 garden was tremendously bountiful.  We are very grateful for it.  There was so much produce that we could share it regularly with friends and family.  The beans, eggplants, peppers, basil, and cucumbers in particular were prolific.  Our apple tree was, too.  It was a great year for apple trees all across town, but we hardly needed to forage since our home tree did so well.  We've processed a lot of salsa and tomato sauce.  We froze a boatload of sweet peppers.  The dehydrator saw a steady stream of herbs and hot peppers.  The fridge has been packed to bursting with cabbages, carrots, and zucchini.  And we ate like kings!  I even managed to keep some useful notes about first harvests and last harvest, etc.

The grape vines were just riotous with yellow this year.  The Cosmos were basically last-man-standing in the Wildflower Walkway.

The resident Blue Jays gave us an especially entertaining show on Saturday.  In addition to eating the peanuts from the feeder, they were also stashing them for the coming winter.  We observed them with glee from the front window.  Blue Jay TV, I call it.  They made repeat trips to snag a nut and then bury it in the grass or flower beds.  The truly delightful part was that they'd pick up a dead leaf or two and place it deliberately over their cached nut.  Seasonal camouflage!  It was so clever and so endearing.  The squirrels have been busy stashing food for winter, too.  They make circuits from Mark's black walnut tree and back...over and over and over!  It is interesting to see my furry neighbors putting by as Matt and I do the same--though admittedly the stakes are lower for us, what with access to grocery stores and all. 

One of the Blue Jays who has storing up for winter on their mind.  11/4/2023

Ginger is soaking up these last warm and sunny autumn days.  As are we, I suppose.  There's never any telling how long they'll last.  The snow last month was a preview of the winter that is on its way!

Ginger is presently fixated on the compost pile.  There must have been a rodent sighting and now her intensity to follow up on that sighting is almost eerie.  She is like a statue.  11/6/2023

Matt and I are very, very, very happily settling into the slower seasons.  The seasons of the S's:  slowing, sweaters, soup, Scrabble, snuggling, staycation, serenity, and--of course--snow.