Putting the Garden to Bed

Well, it's finally that time of year. We harvested the last of the peppers and herbs from the garden yesterday. We covered our late season crops of lettuce, spinach and green beans last night against the frost though I think we lost the green beans. It is, of course, near the end of the growing season and to be expected.

This weekend the young squire and I shoveled in a ton and a half of compost to prepare the beds for next season - and more will follow. Soon we will sow the beds with winter rye which I am using as a "green manure" crop to further enrich the soil when we turn it into the beds next spring. I can now see the stone our sundial sits on in the garden - it's the first time I've seen it in the last four months because it has been surrounded by herbs. I have never harvested basil in the last week of October and now it all hangs along the stairs to the cellar awaiting the stock pot.

Even the bees got in on the act by providing us with about one and a half supers of honey which I think should yield around three to three and a half gallons. A sweet ending to a wonderful first season of vegetable gardening.

We're already planning for next year.