Preparing for Frost

I have most of my vegetables in pots at this point, so they are a little less likely to get frost damage.

Greetings fellow gardeners, 

The air is crisp this morning, and I have an overwhelming urge to make soup. If it starts raining again, I think soup is in my future. It is a great way to use the vegetables we harvest at this time of year.

Propagating Raspberry Royal and Hummingbird Sages

I have been enjoying the beautiful flowers of my Raspberry Royal and Hummingbird Sages. I have found that seeds from these plants are not true, so I have decided to try taking a cutting or two. I am choosing young cuttings, stripping off the lower leaves, and putting them in a light potting soil mix. Apparently, the important thing is to keep them moist. I will add these seedling pots to my plant compound as they appear to be too tempting for the too-many cats.

Vegetables in Pots, Preparing for Frost

The temperature is cooler at night, and I worry that we will be getting frost. There are parts of my garden that are more exposed than others, and they will get cold. I have most of my vegetables in pots at this point, so they are a little less likely to get frost damage. A killing frost will be coming soon enough. I was able to pick eight cups of multicoloured tomatoes, and that gave me enough to make a batch of salsa. I love using all the different colours of tomatoes, as it makes my salsa look so interesting. My jalapenos did not do well this year, so the salsa does not have that big of a bite. The other red peppers were lovely, so they were used in the salsa as well.

Malabar Spinach Seeds

The heritage spinach that I had vining up a tomato support in a pot at the front of the house is producing seeds. I am so happy as I found it very difficult to find seeds for this vegetable last year. Now I will have enough seeds for myself and to share. These spinach seeds are quite beautiful. They look like little blueberries. I am starting to collect seeds from some of my native plants as well so that I can share them. Collecting seeds is something that I can do as I go wobbling about with my walker. It feels so good to contribute. 

Plants Grow in Unexpected Places

I have been able to make it out to the chicken coop these past few days, and I think that the chickens were happy to see me. I found a cucumber growing on the vine that had made it into their coop, and a squash or pumpkin vine was growing along the side of their compound! It looks great. While none of the flower seeds made it to the back of the compound, the purple-podded pole beans are growing at a steady pace.

I am continuing to work on my garden plan with its 52 bites. As I work on each page, I make notes. Each little bite is doable and far less overwhelming than the whole garden all at once. Enjoy your week. Judith 

(Email:  sghorticultural@gmail.com)  Veggie Bites are available at https://sghorticultural.wixsite.com/website or https://gardeningcalendar.ca/category/veggie-bites/