Well, the time has come: the first frost of the year is expected this weekend. It's always a little bittersweet to be facing the end of a garden season, but to make it about two-thirds of the way through October - no complaints here!
The process of cleaning out the gardens started last night. Mike helped me harvest the last of the tomatoes, peppers, tomatillos, and melons, and tonight I'll take care of the last of the scallions, basil, and other herbs. I plan to let the broccoli, root crops, and lettuce stay for now (with a little careful covering of the tender greens, they'll do just fine - if not improve in flavor - through a few frosts).
As the saying goes, with every end there's a new beginning, and as this year's garden is coming to an end, the first plantings of next year's garden are already going in the ground. First on the agenda: garlic (an Italian heirloom variety called Music), and second: horseradish (which will be the first planting in my new herb/pollinator garden).
Labels: garlic, horseradish
