It’s hard to believe that at the end of October we will have been here for 7 months, and owned the place for 8 months.
October started warm, but then dipped down into the 60s with even a frost warning at the start of the second week.
It leads to this:
If you haven’t saved heirloom seeds yet, get going on it before it is too late.
When we first moved here in the early morning, all I could smell outside was onions. Suddenly, in October, after the first rain, it was back. Apparently, the grass is full of wild onions. Or onion grass. It is edible. I mean…oh darn. I have edible weeds instead of grass.
First week of October, the lettuces love the weather.
Filling in nicely.
Potatoes just starting to pop up in the first week.
On a lark, I bought a pack of sweet potato slips at the Mennonite nursery in Maryland and planted them in a grow bag. They actually grew very well. They did produce, but they definitely need to be in a raised bed next year. I was happy with my experiment, though.
I watch Amazon Haul for deals. It’s where out-of-season items with small counts seem to go. I love this sign for my future raspberry bed.
A really heavy tomato sign…for $2!
The carrot sign was heavy as well, but had gotten banged up. But for $2, I am ok with that.
The native Mountain Mint I planted in September has started putting both new growth and flowers on.
Growing Kohlrabi – most likely for the small shoots.
Dwarf Bok Choy putting on flowers. The flowers are edible, as are the flower buds. In fall they are so sweet to pluck and eat. Bok Choy can get bitter in spring if it gets too hot quickly; cooler temperatures keep it sweeter.
First week of October coming to an end.
New shoots are coming up from the solo dual-crop raspberry plant. Next spring, I will add more plants.
Dwarf peas are putting on flowers in the first week of October.
One of our medical herb plants blooming.
Fall potatoes are growing quickly through the straw mulch.
My Marshmallow plant, which I planted in the herb bed, grew enough to put on a couple of flowers in October. Next year, it should be able to grow tall and covered in flowers.
This Clematis Vine bloomed in both Spring and Summer. It looked pretty bad at the end of the summer, so I cut it back – and it grew back and bloomed in the fall. A real winner.
Tomatoes even into the last week.
Swiss Chard is doing well as the month wanes.
Dwarf peas are putting on peas in late October.
Bok Choi flowers, the best part.
Fall potatoes are setting up. By the last week of October, the bed had many sprouting up through the hay and leaves I put down.
Saffron Crocus bulbs planted.
The one butter yellow rose bush is still flowering even as the month winds down.
Fresh strawberries in the final week.
As the month ends, the temps are in the high 50s and low 60s. The garden is winding down for the season, but the work on winter bulbs will go on for months, as they eventually go to sleep till spring comes.
Shallots poking up thru the straw and leaves.
Kohlrabi growing frantically.
A few more sweet strawberries.
To end the month, the bok choi grows green and fresh. In the store, they were selling it limp and light colored for $3 a tiny head.
Today will end the month with temps in the 50s and a windy day, after 2 days of heavy rain.
November is slated to start warmer, in the low to mid-60s. I will continue to work on the gardens until the deep cold comes.
~Sarah