Day 285
Even though Halloween decorations are in full swing, we are still working on getting gifts from our garden. Though nighttime temperatures are approaching freezing, we haven’t hit that threshold yet. Our plants are still working at pushing out more production, even if at a slower rate than the heat of summer. Every time we go out there to try and start the cleanup process, we end up picking more instead. It’s a good problem to have, but it can also be time-consuming.
I don’t mean to complain because we are very, very blessed. Fortunately, we are able to share our bounty with others so the time in the garden is well worth it. Besides providing food for some friends and family, the main recipients of any leftover fruits and vegetables are our feathered friends. They will have to enjoy these delicious treats while they last.
But it is time to start the process of putting the garden to rest for the season. Slowly but surely, we are taking the plants that are done producing and either adding them to the compost or giving our chickens a special treat. The garden that was once overgrown and almost impassable is starting to look like it did before the growth explosion took over. We started removing the already bolted lettuce plants and parts of the overgrown tomato trees. I call them that because they are much more enormous than any tomato plants we’ve grown before. Because many tomatoes are still turning red and there are even more on the way, we are being selective with what tomato plants we remove. If Jack Frost shows up soon, the tomato plant purge will accelerate our garden cleanup. When we do, we know the chickens will be happy to clean up the removed plants. Every time any of us walk near their yard, the girls parade out and approach us, anticipating some type of treat. When we walk by with a wheelbarrow of pulled plants, we scatter them throughout the yard so that the chickens aren't fighting amongst themselves. This supplemental source of food is much appreciated and will definitely be missed by the girls over the long stretch of winter.
