End of the Season Garden Notes

We had our first really good frost last night.  The tomato plants that had survived the previous light frosts wilted into a disorganized pile of used-to-be-alive heap.  I covered them the night before, but somehow didn't think it relevant last night.  All in all, I think my second attempt at gardening in Colorado was a success.  I learned a bunch this season about how to make things live in our short growing time.  I have a new love for parsnips, tomatillos, ground cherries, spicy arugula, and bok choy thanks to my Australian friend who shares the produce from her garden in exchange for my manual labor.  (One of our frequent exchanges went something like this: T-would you like some of this to take home?  Me-Sure!...what is it?)

We grew a big momma of a pumpkin called Big Max that is Aidan and Chloe's pride and joy.  I had to enlist the help of the husband to move it because it nearly matched me in weight.

Chloe sat on the front steps decorating mini pumpkins with markers which seemed to be some sort of a pied piper song to the neighborhood children.

Roscoe desperately wanted to come out and help, but had to content himself with gazing though the window.

Fortunately there were enough small pumpkins to go around and everybody got to take one home. 

This year I canned jams, peaches and chutney, and learned to use a dehydrator.  I can braid garlic and make tomato sauce from scratch.  We raised chicks from cute, 2 day old balls of fluff to happy, sassy egg-laying hens.  I've made tea from my herbs and butter from cream.  We produced about 5 cucumbers and 8 stalks of corn, and more cherry tomatoes then anyone could possibly want.  Not to bad for this city girl.  Now that the garden is a scraggly mess of dying plants, I can start planning next year.  Maybe some bees.  And some bunnies...