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Sunday, September 23, 2012

The Country Garden Showcase #39

HAPPY AUTUMN!
Today is the first official day of autumn in the United States, though you'd hardly recognize it outside my door.  We're still earning record warm temperatures in our county.  However, those nice Fall winds are helping to cool the sun's heat finally.  I'm ready for the weather to change so I can rip out the rest of my spent plants and prep the beds for cover crops.  
My tomato plants are still going strong.  I am harvesting a 5 gallon bucket full every other day or so now of the beefsteaks and cherry tomatoes, but the San Marzano paste tomatoes have been a huge disappointment.  They taste phenomenal, but they take FOREVER to ripen.  I'll buy them instead of growing them next year and use that space for something more productive.
Surprisingly, there are still blossoms and young fruit on my eggplants, They're so delicate and we have had some cold nights.  The armenian cucumber vines have succumbed, and they're pretty much finished,  The butternut squash plant continues to crawl allover the walkways laden with squash. 
I guess I need to find a recipe to can them, quick.  I pulled up lots of red and white bulb onions to dry this week.  I still need to harvest my big pumpkins and arrange them at the front door for decorations.  

This weekend I canned another batch of tomato soup for my husband, it's his favorite.  I am still enjoying those nectarine fruit leathers I dehydrated back in June.  Our friends gave me a few bags full of great canning jars, so I am sure that I will have enough jars to finish my tomato harvest this year, the only thing I am worried about now is finding the space to store them.   My hutch is full now, and that bright red larder is almost full too.  I wonder if I can store canned food safely inside my garage if I keep it above freezing this winter???

I hope your garden is still providing you with a bountiful harvest and inspiration for next spring.  It's your turn to link up and share your garden progress.  Remember, you are welcome to share anything garden related, tours of your garden plots and/or greenhouse, garden art, recipes made with your harvest, helpful gardening tips, harvest decor, etc.  I look forward to reading your posts.   Thanks!

Have a GREAT week!

Heidi

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