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| A big bounty of tomatoes this year |
I can't believe I am saying this, but I am ready for the end of summer and the start of cooler weather. It seems like it has been the longest and hottest summer ever, or at least that I have experienced since moving here. I am in the middle of closing down the garden for fall even though with our mild climate I could continue to winter right through the winter. I need a rest. If we have a warm spring, I could be back planting cold weather crops such as lettuce as soon as February or March.
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| Even with the hot weather the watermelon growth was disappointing |
Small is the word that I could use to describe my crops, over and over this year. Here is a photo of what I mean. The melon looks ok from the photo, until I tell you that it is only about 3 inches wide. It is really a mini melon. From what I have read we have had 28 days during this summer with highs over 90, but that did not produce massive vegetables in my garden at least. Was it too hot? Can it ever be too hot for watermelon? I guess so. If anyone knows for sure, let me know in the comments.
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| Chili peppers picked before they turn red |
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Herbs in olive oil frozen into cubes
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This is the first year that I have made herbal ice cubes. I chopped the herbs and then added olive oil before freezing. Once frozen, I emptied the cubes into freezer bags. Most of my herb harvests were air dried this year. I was able to give my dehydrator a rest, but I made a habit of picking and drying herbs every week.
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| Tasty, but small sweet peppers |
An advantage of small crops is for the most part, they are very tasty. Such was the case with my green bell peppers. Each plant produced a bumper crop of mini green peppers. So many that I able to freeze them for the winter.
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| The squash were another early harvest item this year |
Another first, all my squash were picked at the start of August. I usually have a few to use in the winter, but this crop got used up before the summer end. Here is a squash that I baked with maple syrup and stuffed with kale, pecans and sausage.
So how was your summer garden this year compared to last? We would love to hear about your year in the comments.
