Fig harvest, Lovely fall & messy garden

Sorry y'all, it's been over 1 month since my last post. But, this year wasn't as fruitful in previous years and I haven't harvested much worth showing, either. Though, I have gradually picked basil, dill, jalapeno peppers and some cherry tomatoes. I've been drying lots of basil, dill, cilantro throughout the summer and into fall. I harvested a lot of radish greens and whole root radishes the other day.

In this garden, I have patches of different things growing in each individual bed. There's a bed of broccoli, bed of basil and strawberries, bed of turnip, kale, radishes, flowers. 

See below, there's several healthy kale plants amongst turnips and radishes. 

I have a small patch of turnip greens and kale greens in this part of a garden bed. 

Here is the bed of radishes

Below is a garden bed of broccoli. They are small plants, even though they are several months old. Animals wreak havoc here but I have plastic netting around the bed to deter them. This bed desperately needs mulched.

I have broccoli, cauliflower, kale growing at my other garden. These crops are fenced off to protect from pests and I hope to continue to keep pests out until I can actually harvest big, beautiful cauliflower and broccoli heads. I want the kale to flourish with massive leaves for frying with a little olive oil and salt. Fried kale is delicious over rice. This garden has been slow growing, though, just like my other broccoli garden bed. 

My major obstacles this year is finding time to do the necessary work in the garden, but I always manage. My next task is to mulch and compost around these plants as it starts getting colder for the plants. I will also have to keep them covered with garden canvas when the temperatures drop to the point I will need to be consisntly wearing a coat outside. 

I hope these fall crops can tolerate the bitter bite of the cold winds whipping through from the north. Summer left quick and the leaves are changing to their vibrant reds, oranges and yellows--painting the hillsides. 

The highlights of the summer were the flower gardens. Still, there's many flowers sparkling amongst the fall skies. 

The fig trees start producing their fruits right as fall makes its presence known. It's like the trees know exactly when they need to set their fruits right before the first frost. I have picked several handfuls of figs at a time in the last 3 weeks. Of course, they are my delectable little fall fruit treats. 

I would love to go to pumpkin patches, do a hayride, and drink cider and pick fruits at an apple orchard. But, much of the normal fall festivities have come to a hault. I did go to a greenhouse, though, to help grandma pick gourds, pumpkins, and mums for her fall setting. 

For fall, I decorated a little fall setting for my grandmother. I harvested my corn stalks and let tied them up for foddershocks. Then I fashioned the scarecrow and arranged the gourds she bought. Usually, I have my own little fall setting arranged, but this year I didnt have a single gourd, pumpkin--nothing from my garden to use for decorating! It was disappointing, but there's always next year. Still, I put up my old scarecrow I made years ago, and other halloween decor. 

Please be safe and healthy my dear garden comrades! Wear a mask, go to a protest, rally, vigil, show up in support, go vote, cast a mail in ballot, save your money, grow some food indoors, try to do your part! Peace and love!