We’ve been pretty busy turning over the garden for fall.  A frost two weeks ago forced my hand in moving out the tomatoes and peppers and getting some good fall crops going.  We’re a little behind schedule, but learning on the fly and have been busy since.  I stopped for a second yesterday, to give a tour to Dave, our mailman.  I left him some lettuce last week, and could tell he was dying to see inside the fence.  He said, “WOW, you really have a lot still growing in here!  Is this your first time doing something like this?”  It was a nice moment to stop and take in all that’s happening in the garden before I frantically try to protect it from the frost coming Saturday night.

My first lesson learned is that mostly all the bugs in my fall garden are PESTS!  The caterpillar offspring of the Small Cabbage White Butterfly (Pieris rapae) have survived two frosts AND Hurricane Sandy.  My garden is totally organic, and pest management is done mainly by hand.  I have callouses on my fingers from picking these little buggers and a sore shoulder from throwing them over the fence.

It’s OK though, I’m starting to see the fruits, or vegetables ( <– garden humor! ) of my labor.  The heads of broccoli are starting to grow, the cauliflower is close behind, although it was harder hit by the caterpillars, and the cabbages are starting to curl up.

The Kale is really starting to boom!  Time for a juicer.

The Mesclun and Arugula I planted between the slower growers is starting to get squeezed out, but I planted new rows that will be ready in time to keep the greens coming.

The beans are dying off, but tis Oregano Plant looks as good as ever.  Probably should store some for the winter.

Sadly the deer are getting ready for winter too and took out some lettuce and the Swiss Chard that was really looking good.  Time to move those inside the fence and get ready for rougher weather!

OK, the time to relax and be reflective is over.  The frost is coming in a couple days and I need to protect the garden!