Well it's over now. Today I cut down all the vines, leaves and stems leftover from a bountiful summer of growing fruits and vegetables.
I smoothed over the soil, put down a layer of lime to put some more calcium back into the soil and covered it with grass clippings I saved over the summer.
This year I grew tomatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, yellow squash, acorn squash, collard greens, onions, scallions, sunflowers, apples, pears and grapes. Although we had a little more rain than usual, everything came out just fine.
Today I want to share my final harvest with you. As you can see there is a huge green squash, what we of Jamaican decent refer to as a Pumpkin. You'll also see my last Yellow Squash or what many call a Buttercup Squash.
Also pictured is the heads of my two Sunflower plants that miraculously survived the invasion of the squirrels. It seems like every three years the squirrels let the Sunflower plants survive the summer. Maybe they know that if they consume it all every year, there may be none in the future. A lesson we humans should take into consideration.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy these pictures. I hope you think about starting a garden next Spring. I wish you could experience the taste of home grown vegetables and fruits.
Now is the time to start getting your growing area ready for the Spring. It doesn't cost a lot of money and only requires a minimum effort. Over the rest of the fall and winter, I'll be placing my vegetable peelings and other organic materials into my soon to be Spring garden. That's something we all can do to help keep our Planet green and reap the rewards of a bountiful Summer just as I did.
Wishing everyone a wonderful Fall and Winter.
Take a look at the wonderful fruits and vegetables I grew this summer at the following link.
http://www.gather.com/viewAlbum.action?albumId=13003
Lloyd
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Comments: 61
I just picked about 10 pounds of green tomatoes. Hopefully they will turn red while sitting indoors. Not only are growing your own vegetables and fruits good for you, it helps with your pocket book. I know I saved hundreds of dollars this year.
Many people probably don't know what a tomato really taste like. The difference is night and day.
You really don't need much space to grow tomatoes and peppers. My most productive area was located in the front of my house right next to the porch.
Do a Google search on indoor gardens and I'm sure you'll get many useful tips.
I'm glad you like the pictures.
Lloyd
This is what I love about Jamaica. I remember visiting my relatives there once and everything we ate came from their backyard except for the rice.
You are making me so longing for "Yard" food. Ackee, avocado, breadfruit and roast fish, oh my!
Off to work. Will be back later to further comment.
Lloyd
Congratulations on a beautiful harvest and a plentiful season.
Thanks.
Lloyd
My inside tomato (cherry) is giving them off like crazy.
Outside we just got the last of the tomatoes off them (oh one was beaf, cant remember what the other one is, and one came up on it's own lol- lots bigger then the cherry tomatoes!).
Fried green tomatoes might be in order??
We will leave most of the sunflowers out there for the birds who enjoy them. The potatoes were all dug up (but for the sweet), and the corn taken and stalks tore down.
Several squashes look done... Cucumbers as well (are those from the squash family?).
My man had planted a lot of the purple herbs, oh cant think of the name - but they hold up pretty good here and smell so good!! Some flowers are still holding up.
Pansies bloom pretty much all year around, even in the snow.
The bush beans are done and the pole beans look horrible, hope it is not to late to get those? Lettuce is still out there, radishes were done a long time ago.
Lets see there are two plants still growing, cabbage, onions, and oh those little round greens lol!
The bell peppers I sure want them next year!
It is to wet now to rototill, what about where you are? We might have to wait till spring to do that?
Kinda sad seeing everything coming down hu? If in the city wouldn't it be cool to take over a empty lot and make a huge garden for the people or teach people to grow indoors!
Thanks for the post and I have to go see your photographs!!
I'm glad you enjoyed the post. I'm going to try growing Cherry tomatoes inside over the winter. Sounds like a great idea.
I've given a lot of green tomatoes away to people who like them fried. I'll have to try it myself.
I'm surprised that my sunflowers survived the whole summer without being picked over by the squirrels.
It sounds like you had a lovely garden. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for your reply.
Lloyd
My sheep ate everything in my garden this year :>{ not even stems left!
Isn't it great to grow your own food :>}
Sorry that the sheep ate up everything in your garden. But as we all know, sheep will be sheep. lol.
Wishing you better luck next year. You are right, it's great to grow your own food.
Potatoes and leeks can survive the cooler weather so you probably can leave them in the ground a little longer. Now is the time to start preparing your soil for next planting next spring. It sounds as if you have a good grip on preparing your garden. Best of luck.
Lloyd
I used to do that all the time, but have not had one in years.
I'll have to look into alternative sources of fertilizers. One year I used cow manure.
Imagine you will miss all that fresh produce for a few months, but what an incentive you'll have to plant the garden in the Spring. Good luck and thanks again for sharing.
I'm glad you enjoyed the pictures of my garden.
Yes I will miss seeing my garden flourish over the winter months, but I'm already preparing for a bigger and better one next spring.
I'm glad you found a new garden store in Tucson. Sound like a wonderful place. I'm sure you'll be a fixture there.
Sunflower Markets are a mixed blessing. They buy most of their produce from central and south America,so it is cheap, but it is probably not grown in the most environmentally friendly fashion. Much of their produce is "B" grade, instead of the "A" grade you'd get from your higher end stores. They do have a large selection of organic goods.
We've had them here for a couple of years now, I do shop there regularly. The best thing that has happened recently is that a "Sprouts" market has opened down the street. The store are so similiar that' it's scary. Now there's a price war for the low-end and organic markets. Sunflower has substantially lowered the prices on their packaged products already.
Look at their sites, they're almost identical too:
http://www.sfmarkets.com/
http://sprouts.com/home.php
I shop at both, according to what is on sale for the week.
LLoyd;
Great job. I mistakenly commented on your garden pic, but there's nothing like growing your own food. Even when I moved from a house to an apartment, I started a garden plot. We've got a great local greenhouse that usually offers about 60 types of heirloom tomatoes, and I do about a dozen a year. I don't know if they do mail order, but they are always good for information.
http://www.utetrail.com/
In the end it's the consumer whom benefits from the increased competition.
Thanks Elise and Ali.
I wish that I had a yard so I could grow some of my own food again.
Anything fresh off the plant tastes a whole lot better.
I have just 2 "window boxes with strawberries and they are sooo sweet when the ripen naturally. Thas another thing that this Goldwater republican and you have in common.
I'm glad you enjoyed my harvest. Even though you don't have a yard, I'm glad that you were able to grow some strawberries and that you enjoyed them.
Believe it or not, we probably have quit a bit in common.
Thanks.
Lloyd
Sounds like you had a great harvest also. I forgot to mention that I still have carrots in the ground. I wish I had a bowl of your delicious Red Raspberries right in front me.
My fav pie is rasp - peach - blueberry! Yum Yum
Still wishing I had a bowl of Red Raspberries in front of me right now. LOL.
If you put them on or beside a fence , it makes them easier to pick. Ours produce berries in the spring and then again in the fall.
I'm going to have to check out those Paul Robeson tomatoes. Never heard of them before. However, I'm very familiar with the great Paul Robeson himself. We both are alumni of the Rutgers University.
Here's some history.
Thanks EM JAY. Thanks a lot.
Tomato seeds for this Russian heirloom were made available by Marina Danilenko, a Moscow seeds woman. This favorite heirloom tomato was named after the operatic artist who won acclaim as an advocate of equal rights for Blacks. His artistry was admired world-wide, especially in the Soviet Union. This "black" beefsteak tomato is slightly flattened, round, and grows to 4-inches. It’s deep, rich colors stand it apart from others…a dusky, dark-red, with dark-green shoulders, and red flesh in it’s center. Very flavorful fruits with luscious, earthy, exotic flavors and good acid/sweet balance. Paul Robeson (aka Pol Robeson) won "Best of Show" at Carmel TomatoFest.
As this tomato variety originates from Siberia and sets fruits at lower temps, it is an excellent choice for cooler growing regions.
A true harvest...
We all need to do this more..instead of relying on the grocery store.
Beautiful photos.
I agree with you 100%. "Fresh grown is the best."
I'm glad you enjoyed the photos.
Lloyd
fresh is best for sure
Once again thanks.
Thanks Lloyd
If you think this garden was huge just wait until I post pictures from my next garden. I'm bringing the the heavy tools. I'm going to thoroughly till more soil and expand my garden.
Look for corn next year. I can't wait.
It doesn't take much of a green thumb. It takes a little time at the beginning and a little care and maintenance as they begin to flourish.
Prepare your soil. Add a little lime to it. Keep the weeds out. I suggest something called Preen. It works for me.
Don't be afraid to get dirty. It washes right off. Make sure you water your plants either in the morning or in the evening. Not during the hottest part of the day.
Give it a try. You'll learn a lot even if you don't succeed at first. Use Google for all the questions you may have.
Wishing you the best of luck.
Lloyd
Well done with your astonishingly varied garden!
We also had a beautiful weekend with highs in the 70's. My Brother went surf fishing yesterday but didn't catch a thing.
I'm glad you like my varied garden.
Thanks.
Lloyd