Summer Wrap Up

Well, we all know that all good things must come to an end, and it's the same with summer. All those gorgeous summer gardens in Tassie are gradually coming to a close, and mine is no exception. I've been breaking things down for the winter here, cleaning up and preparing for fall and winter crops.

I had a whole bunch of starter pots at the side of the house near the gate, just sitting there, with (I am embarrassed to admit) a few dead, brown twigs sticking out of them. So, I cleaned up that mess, dumped the soil out into the bigger pots to bring them up to level (no matter how much soil you put in, it always seems to disappear), before lining a few up neatly under the window. I now have two empty pots flanking my basil, my jalapeno chilies, and a volunteer tomato plant that amused me by popping up randomly in a vacant space.

The starter pots and water dishes are stacked up, ready for storage in the shed as soon as I can make the room to get them in there. I swept the sidewalk, and did some weeding, and started pruning that big bush by the corner of the fence, until I developed a blister, so I just threw the limbs onto the pavers in the yard to be dealt with later. Hubs said he'd get up there and cut it back all the way for the winter. it helps the sun reach the house better if we do.
 
I also cleaned up the front porch "nursery", where I keep the mini greenhouse in spring. Shook the dirt off the door mat, swept the steps, swept the drive to neaten it a bit (discovered a large nest of honey ants in the process...ick!), took in all the small starter pots there to be emptied and put away for the winter with the others, trimmed that south african bush (whatever it is) back to let the sun get to the porch (and considered removing it completely...), and then set up five large pots with Fordhook Giant Silverbeet, Rainbow Chard, Perpetual Spinach, Lacinato Kale, and Tatsoi seeds. *GASP!* The pots are artfully arranged with staggered heights on the porch steps. Artfully, I said. I do try to be stylish. ;)

We'll see if I can get myself some pots of greens growing before it gets too cold to germinate.

And, I consistently forgot to remember it was Easter, as I wasn't baking anything special or making chocolates. I did, however, bust open that big pumpkin I had harvested from the plots and baked up a few chunks, and decided that I've found the PERFECT pie pumpkin. Huge, thick, fleshy walls, relatively thin skin, nice dark orange flesh. Some pumpkin pie might be in our near future. I'm definitely saving the seeds. 

All in all, I hope your holiday weekend was a good one, and that your gardens are going well, and may everyone have an enjoyable upcoming season, whatever it may be.