Garden Update: The End is Near

Here it is, September is almost done, and the garden is showing its age.  The squash is long gone.  My tomato plants are falling over.  And the sunflower stalks are turning yellow.  I'm almost sad, but my greens are still going strong, and I've spotted nine little watermelons that may make it to adulthood before the cold sets in.  

So, I figured I'd give an update on what is growing at this point. 

My adorable watermelons growing stronger every day...

I've pulled up a few beetle-eaten kale plants, but the others are growing like crazy.  The purple kale is big and beautiful, just how I like it.  It's bitter, but it makes awesome juice, and a little lemon makes it great for salads.

We've had a few pests move in, but so far, they've not made much of a dent in production.  I did lose my pumpkin and squash plants to vine-borers, but since they grew into the empty lot next door (and were continually mowed down), I figure I'll just have to plan better next year.  

I've still got a few peppers waiting to turn red, and some green tomatoes too.  And the mystery "volunteer" tomato plants turned out to be black cherry heirlooms that we grew last year.  They aren't producing many tomatoes, but they are delicious.

The Swiss chard is still going strong and the colors have gotten super intense... Meaning more nutrients!  Eat those greens, you guys.

I ended up with one small beet from a whole row of seeds, so I've got some work to do to figure out the magic of growing those.  I absolutely LOVE beets these days, so if I can grow them, I'll be very happy.

Lastly, my carrots are coming along really nicely.  If I can keep the dogs from walking on them, they'll be fine.  The pups are super curious about this green stuff that's taking up their yard space.  

I've planted some new seeds for a winter crop of lettuces, beets, and maybe fennel. Nothing has sprouted just yet, so I'm still nervous about them.  Fingers crossed.  I've never grown food year-around before.  It's a new adventure!  I'll be saving a bunch of money if I can, at least, get kale to make it through.

We shall see.  If all goes well, I'll be giving garden updates in January. 

Mommy's little helping watering the carrots.  She gets very upset if you don't let her help.