Annual (Almost) Halloween Garden Check-In

It's almost Halloween which means the tomatoes are waning and in short supply.  I am still able to once daily snack at the Sun Gold plant, but that and these smaller sized Mai Tais are about all that's left.

Gone are the big red slicers, not to return again until next summer.  BUT there's still plenty in the garden!

The peppers took a while, but where my summer wait was longer, we're getting the payoff now.  I've got at least a half dozen nice sized peppers staying fresh on the vines.

I staggered pole beans this year, and have been rewarded with an extremely long season.  These beans that I planted the 3rd week in June are still cranking out a new dinner's worth of beans every week, and so long as we keep getting warmish days and nights in the 40's I could still be eating them at Thanksgiving.

Same goes with the herbs.  I've got more basil than I know what to do with, chives, parsley, thyme and oregano.  Some of it will be brought in and dried but I'll have fresh until we get our first frosty night.

And while summer plantings are still hanging on, I'm giving some fall plantings a try with Imperial broccoli (a variety intended for fall growing), some Oregon Giant Snow peas that I'd started at the end of August, carrots I've been staggering in the garden all year long, and some lettuce starts I'd picked up at Friedman's just for giggles (or possibly the slugs--we'll see).

And last but not least:  Despite slugs and aphids always decimating my fall Bok Choi, and my covered container planter that was supposed to solve those problems producing less than desirable yields, I'm a sucker for punishment (or am I stubborn and bullheaded?  Maybe both).  But I picked up some Joi Choi starts and will see what I get here.

Normally, Halloween is the last garden check-in until Memorial Day, but if I can keep my garden growing year-round winter, I may have to start adding Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day and Easter!  Look at me, always the optimist!