Autumn Potager

 The face of the Potager has changed. It's getting cooler and Tropical Storm Nicole knocked over some plants, so it was time to give the garden a fall clean up.

The two large Ugli tomato plants were knocked to the ground by the storm. I picked off the green tomatoes and took the plants out. I'll let the healthiest looking green tomatoes ripen indoors. The other will be chopped up and made into something yummy.

The empty space where the tomato plants dwelled was refreshed with lime, fertilizer and compost and some more asparagus was dug up from the old bed that was destroyed and put in. Now the Asparagus bed is full, as I planned it and should remain undisturbed for the next 20 years or so.
Unfortunately for us, we won't be eating any Asparagus from our garden for a few years. But the fond memory of how wonderful the fresh Asparagus tasted will give us the patience to wait for it.

The turnips and radishes are getting big and the beets and swiss chard are looking good too.
I'm not sure if the carrots will get big before the first frost, but this whole box is liking the cooler nights.

 I love Mums. The Zinnias had done their duty in the garden. They needed to be removed. The mums add a pop of color instantly.
Mums are perennials and would come back in the spring if I were to leave them there, but I am planning on treating these like annuals and tossing them once they die back.

The bell peppers are doing really well with the cooler temperatures. They are producing dozens of flowers which I will remove so all the energy can go into these peppers before the first frost.

 The jalapenos are heavy with peppers. I'm hoping to make more jelly and freeze some for use during the winter.

The basil will continue until the first frost. It will be completely picked before then and made into pesto for the freezer.
The parsley, or what's left of it after the caterpillars, will be available until Thanksgiving, and then should survive as a cutting until Christmas. I've never had luck digging the plant and keeping inside.

And lastly the lettuce is getting bigger daily, as is the volunteer dill. The red leafed Merlot lettuce has all come up, most of the Black Seeded Simpson is up and getting big, but only about a third of the Little Gem Romaine has come up and is growing very slowly. I'll cover the lettuce when a light frost is predicted, but will have to rig up some kind of a cold frame to give them more time to mature.
I can't believe how quickly this gardening season is passing!

"There ought to be gardens for all months in the year,
in which, severally, things of beauty may be then in season."
-  Sir Francis Bacon