Saying Good-bye to the Garden

I always have mixed feelings when the first hard frost hits - I know I will miss the fresh produce growing right outside my door, but I also know that without yard work, I can put my time to good use doing other projects that have been put on hold.

We always strip the garden as we pull out the plants. This year we had an especially large crop of green tomatoes.(I have done quite a few things with them and will be posting recipes in the coming days.)

We also had a good crop of peppers which allowed me to do 5 batches of salsa (recipe to come soon - I promise) and another batch of sloppy joe sauce.

We had four pumpkins, 3 butternut squash and a few more red tomatoes. We also dug up a few more onions which were used promptly in the salsa.

Another year of gardening is done. I still will be able to enjoy a little fresh produce until about Thanksgiving. I slipped the red tomatoes into the crisper drawer in the fridge and the green tomatoes are in a box in the garage and will slowly ripen. As they ripen, I will move them to the fridge. The squash and pumpkins will also hold well in the garage and will most likely become part of our Thanksgiving feast.

I am especially grateful for the lessons that having a small garden (aprox. 10'x8') provides for us and our children.

What lessons has gardening taught you over the years? I'd love to hear. Feel free to comment below.