Made another mini greenhouse garden tunnel for winter growing

still harvesting figs and lettuce

 It's getting in the 30s this week at night, so I will be covering the fig trees since I'm still harvesting figs. Additionally, I am covering the broccoli plants and lettuces with plastic to protect from the colder nights ahead. I put together a polytunnel today using rebar to hold the plastic hoops and used plastic sheeting to cover over the lettuce.

growing lettuce in winter

I have patches of radishes, swiss chard, collards, and lettuce growing among the broccoli plants that I cover at night. I use what I have on hand which happened to be glass panes from an old refrigerator. In the photo here you see some covered this way. There's many ways to cover plants with recyclable materials. I use the grow bags to cover plants, as well as blankets, garden canvas, jugs, plastic pet cones; and I'm sure I will use many different materials in the future.

plus I made a winter shelter for the outside cats

Pineapples & Tropical house plants going indoors for fall & winter (& keeping cats out)

I really struggle to keep the inside and outside cats out of the garden and the houseplants. I have found ways of controlling this problem. In the garden, I made a fence along the rows to disorient the cats and keep them off of the garden mounds, in addition to fencing around houseplants indoors. To keep cats out, I also sit houseplants on top of dressers, stands, or grow hanging potted plants.

Here are some of my houseplants that I have been moving indoors to stay warm during the cool autumn nights and through the winter. I made a video of the houseplants which I will post on here soon, but I have rearranged the houseplants to all stay in the utility room with the cat litter to control the air quality. The utility room also has decent lighting and a heater for all the plants to get plenty of sunshine and heat. I also keep the ceiling light/fan on for the plants as well.

 Heartleaf Philodendon in hanging pot by window & stove to keep warm

With these houseplants, I have them on a short table with mesh fencing around the table to keep the cats out.

Christmas Cactus, Peace Lily, Dracaena, Heartleaf philodendron by window & heater for warmth

The palm tree is on an elevated stand to keep the cats out of the pot. Up from the palm is pineapple plants, another palm, snake plant, and heartleaf philodendron on a tall table.

Palm trees, pineapples, snake plant by heater with other houseplants

heartleaf philodendron with the other houseplants on table

It's not a good idea to put the big snake plant on a table considering its weight. But I have another snake plant sitting on an elevated stool to prevent the cats from getting in it.

Snake plants with other houseplants 

 I have additional house plants to bring indoors for the winter. Not only am I trying to keep the cats out of the house plants, but I am running out of room in the house for big plants. And this pineapple plant weighs at least a hundred pounds, so for now I am keeping them in the porch/greenhouse. At night I cover these with plastic so they are double covered. Eventually I am going to bring these plants in for the winter. I don't want to risk losing them to the cold winter after I have been growing them for years. I believe it is the pineapples fourth year...

Pineapples & aloe in outdoor greenhouse/porch

 One of the corn stalks fell over from the last storm, and to my surprise there was a big cob, so I picked it. The corn variety is Trucker's favorite, and it grew very quickly. I planted this corn late summer! I love the little surprises that the garden gifts us...

Uncovering broccoli & artichoke in the morning + pea harvest

I covered the broccoli plants with fabric and plastic sheeting last night since it was getting down in the 30s. When I woke up in the morning, I uncovered the broccoli, the artichoke.

While I was uncovering the plants, I harvested some peas, peppers, and figs as well. The hornets are still ferocious even in the cold mornings just to get their fill of figs for breakfast--I don't blame them.

Today before going to bed, I also covered the big pineapple plants with plastic so they would be double covered--now that I have them in the porch greenhouse.

Tomato, fig harvest & fig jam + pics of the broccoli garden

I posted some pictures of the spider webs that are magnificent works of art when the morning dew rests on them.

Also, since the nights have been cold, I made sure to cover the broccoli plants before then.

corn. turnip, greens growing on mound

I didn't taken a picture of the peas in the garden, but I have peas ready to be picked. Here I have a tomato and fig harvest.

The figs were processed with some apples that I bought from an orchard with organic sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla. 

fig jam that's left after eating several jars already!

I bought fuyu persimmons from the store-they taste like pumpkin pie!

Old chicken of the woods mushrooms + paw paw grove + tomato harvest

Much of the chicken of the woods mushrooms I see are always growing at the bottom of an oak tree, usually at the base or around the roots among the leaves.

These mushrooms were growing all over the woods after the heavy rainfall

paw paw grove behind my house

pasta dinner with dehydrated & fresh garden tomatoes 

The snail is so cute...

tomato harvest 

Fall Mulching food forest/garden + scarecrow halloween + harvest (VIDEO)

Fig Harvest Jam, Potato harvest, & photos I took from LGBTQ+ Pride Festival in my town

potato harvest from grow bags

Chicago hardy figs 

Fig jam (figs mixed with apples, boiled with organic sugar, vanilla, & lemon juice)

Garden harvest, broccoli growing larger, & visiting the orchard

Granny and me at the orchard