Lazy Gardener: Wrapping Up The Season

  • Posted on: 5 October 2017
  • By: Cathy McGuire

It's been a long and fruitful (and veg-ful) season this year in the Pacific NW, but the rain has returned and the garden is (almost) tucked in for the off-season. Only, around here it's not totally off... I've planted overwintering garlic, kale, broccoli, and a bit of lettuce, and I'm hoping to get enough mild temperatures to keep them growing for a while longer. I'm still getting raspberries, and there's some weird late-season squash that volunteered when I turned a raised bed - I don't expect ripe squash, but the bees are loving the blossoms.

So it's a time to sum up what's been done, take notes and think about next year. Also time to mark those plants that should, with luck, come back again (see photo above - and yes, I realize the big leaf is a hollyhock - it's the small poppy plant below that I'm afraid of losing). I'm not sure how we can "plan" for the unexpected, but at least some amount of time/effort needs to be set aside - because a lot of this summer was having to deal with unplanned issues. There were sudden molds and aphid-attacks; there were overly-hot days (for us) when I had to protect even the hot-weather plants. And of course there was the effect of my new bee hives...many more fruit and veggies - not a problem; just unexpected - and harvest/storing takes time.

Speaking of unexpected - I found one of my hives had eaten their entire 10-frame store of honey on October 1st - I have no idea why, but possibly the majority of the hive swarmed and took it with them... I've been feeding honey back to what's left, and as soon as I have a hot day and the courage/strength to open the brood box (they are sooo bad with burr comb - it's destructive to open it up), I will see if there's even a queen... this particular crisis has taken up quite a bit of time. Chalk it up to inexperience (I should have noticed it sooner).

I'll try to write more soon, but I'm heading out to a local Food Day, where farmers and vendors can show off their wares and locals can learn more about cooking, preserving - and what's in the area! I'm taking photos; hope to learn a few things, too.

Anyway - what went well or poorly in your garden this year?

Comments

Planted plum tomatoes and processed about 10 lbs for sauce (frozen). lots of squash (long yellow thingies with green stripes, I forget their name). Chard is still good. One plant is 3' high, huge! Potatoes did well. Just pruned apple trees, made a large pie last week, and have enough apples for three more (yum!). We have a lot of shade since our southern neighbor does not believe in sustainable forestry. We are just north of Lacey, about 8 miles north of the I-5. Where are you?