October, time to plant?!

Posted on | October 18, 2008 | No Comments

For the first time I can remember, Matt & I (and, post-nap, the kids) did some fall clean-up in the yard in the fall instead of in late winter/early spring. It was a beautiful day, sunny and warm. The type of day that makes me love fall in Colorado (even if I am sunburned!).

We did the usual, pulling the tomatoes, peppers, and squash plants that were pretty much toast after a few hard freezes last week, harvesting the last few cucumbers and pulling out their crunchy vines, and harvesting sun flower heads for bird food and kid snacks this winter.

But we also logged a couple of firsts. We actually planted some veggies today: carrots in a cold frame, garlic for harvest next summer, pak choi and swiss chard that, with some winter protection, may allow us to harvest them later this fall/winter. We also watered and fertilized the bounty of fall crops we planted last month: tiny baby radishes, turnips, fennel, cauliflower, and beets.

And we harvested quite a few strawberries from the plants we put in this spring–they’ve really far-exceeded our expectations for a first-year harvest and are spreading like crazy (with a little guidance from the woman with the garden plan ). Oh, and a few more pumpkins, onions, winter squash, and, for the first time ever, potatoes. Man, did the kids love finding the potatoes and pulling them off the roots of the potato plants! And of course we had them for dinner tonight–divine!

Working in the yard is so therapeutic for me. I feel tired, a bit achy (and itchy from the squash vines), but so completely at peace. I sifted compost that went on to the garlic & carrot beds, pulled innumerable weeds and spent vegetables, turned soil, planted, and also just played in the autumn sun with the kids and the dog (who is still praying his way out of purgatory for chewing on one of my espaliered apple trees this week!).

Today was fun and productive, a rare combination these days. I hope tomorrow has something similar in store…

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