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| Cinnamon basil in the herb garden |
It’s cold and rainy out today, and the forecast for the weekend called for temperatures in the twenties. We hit two yearly milestones this year; first frost and the first time we used the fireplaces in the house. Both occurred on November 1, marking an end to summer.
I look back and feel as if the gardening year flew by. I look ahead with pleasure to the publication of my latest book, Attracting Birds to the Garden, which is in the galley proof stage now, meaning it’s getting closer to reality, and work on the next books in the From the Garden series.
Sometimes when you’re so immersed in the daily realities of gardening you lose track of what you’ve accomplished. I felt like this year I had more failures than successes. The drought and extreme heat really did take their toll on the gardens, but I did try some new things with success.
The frosts this weekend will kill what’s left in the vegetable garden. Before the plants are but a memory, I wanted to share a few notes from my 2010 gardening adventures, both indoor and out, and just general adventures from the farm.
Sweet Potatoes
It was my first year growing them and I had no idea what I should do. I thought I’d killed them at first. Instead, I harvested a bumper crop. I realized something very important, too. Root vegetables grow very well in my garden. Next year, I plan to try a few more, including some unusual varieties of potatoes.
Carrots
Carrots love my garden. I love carrots. It’s a match made in heaven. Once again I harvested a bumper crop of long, sweet, juice Nantes-style carrots. More please!
Cantaloupe
Once again we had a bumper crop of cantaloupe, but they all came in at once and we got so sick of eating them that many went to waste. Now that I know they do well despite droughts and heat waves, I want to try a few different kinds and stagger the planting dates so the harvesting dates may be a bit staggered, too. That will keep me from getting sick of them!
Moles
Shadow found a mole digging in the vegetable garden. I ran and looked them up, fearing I had a new creature bent on eating everything in sight. I learned that moles are harmless, except for the roots they disturb. Shadow’s attentions discouraged the mole and she left the garden to live next to the shed, but I learned a lot about wildlife.
Bluebirds
The bluebird house Phil made for us attracted its first nesting pair this spring. I could sit in my chair inside the house in my plant room and watch the parents feed the babies. It inspired me to write Attracting Birds to the Garden; those baby bluebirds gave me such pleasure and joy every time I saw them. It was a delight.
Groundhogs
Did you know they can climb trees? I didn’t, until Shadow chased one straight up a pine tree. That fat, furry rodent hung by his claws to the trunk, chattering its teeth menacingly while my dog went crazy at the base. She could be a good hunting dog I suppose. She is wonderful for keeping critters from the garden!
