Final garden tour -- probably

It is with regret that I give you the last tour of my garden for 2009. I know there will probably be a frost in the next few weeks that will nip the last part of the growing season in the bud -- literally. Of course I wouldn't mind if we had a few extra weeks of mild weather. I will enjoy watching things grow until everything freezes but I don't know what I should expect. It is after all, almost Thanksgiving.

But, what about my sugar peas? Aren't they great?

They are beautiful! We are having very large blooms all over our pea vines and I know this is one of the first things we will plant in the spring. They love the cooler weather.



They are sweet and crunchy in salads. I don't know how many we will have in the next few weeks, but we will enjoy every pod we can find.

Now this is a little frustrating. We have been waiting, and waiting and waiting for the pumpkin vine, above, to bloom and now that it is probably too late, what do we see? This pumpkin plant is a little tiresome! I admire your effort but your timing is just off!

These banana peppers just don't quit. They have slowed and I am still picking a few here and there.

The green beans, bless 'em. They just keep coming. I don't see any more blooms, and I will admit this wouldn't fill up even a small sauce pan -- but I just love their spunk. They just keep coming.

The kale is looking good. It really likes the cooler weather. It is perfect cooked, on a sandwich or in my green smoothies. It is so mild that everyone loves it.

Parsnips. I don't really know if we will have parsnips before it freezes, but if we do, I know they will be sweet and tasty.

The Cayennes are looking a little ragged but they are now turning red. I have been drying the last of them to put in shakers. I intend to shake them on pizza and add them to stews for a bit of spice.

This is a fuzzy photo of a Japanese eggplant (what was I trying to shoot?) and I am surprised they are still growing this late in the season.

The cherry tomatoes are still growing in bunches.

And the lettuce is simply beautiful -- and delicious. This butter lettuce is growing with a red lettuce variety. We also have some volunteer garlic growing in the lettuce row. I have been pulling it up and using the "garlic greens" in soups.

And finally. A butterfly on a weed in the garlic. This is the best kind of weed -- the kind that attracts butterflies and doesn't have thorns.