The frost monster is getting closer and closer so last week it was time to start picking anything it was apt to finish with its frozen finger.
Certain things you can leave in the garden when frost threatens, but other things you don't want to take a chance with.
Of the 6 Petite Floret dahlia seeds I grew out, one of them has the potential to be a nice flower to grow in my garden, even if not for show. I like the colours of this one with pale pink & pale yellow petals.
Any dahlias I grew from seed that I didn't like I pulled out this week, and any that I want to keep and save the tubers from, I cut back the stems to around 6". In 2 weeks, I'll dig them up.
The upright yellow plumes are Floret's celosia, Limonata.
One Victorian Wedding zinnia plant grows around a tall Hot Biscuits amaranth that self seeded. If you want annuals that come back year after year plant amaranth and celosia. They both spit out more seeds & reveal surprise spring plants than any other annual I grow.
The fantastic thing about zinnias are they last forever both on the plant and in a vase. If you leave the flowers to grow, instead of picking them the blooms just get fuller and fuller.
A dahlia bloom on the other hand will only last a week or two before it's spent.
Peppers really don't like frost, but these ones are growing under a protective insect net which actually does a good job of protecting tender plants like peppers from light frosts.
I left the peppers in the ground this time, but if a harder frost is predicted I will pull the entire plant up, roots and all, and hang them upside down in my basement to finish colouring up.
You can also just pick the peppers and put them in a paper bag to turn red. Or just eat them green but who actually likes green peppers??
Luffa absolutely have to be picked before frost or as soon as you can after one. They get discoloured and icky if they get frost on them. I could have taken a chance on leaving the luffas for another couple of weeks but I didn't. I picked and cleaned them that night.
Yes, you can grow luffa sponges and no they don't come from the sea. I've written an entire guide to growing luffa sponges, even in colder climates like Canada. It took a long time to figure out all of the tricks, but now I consistently produce a whack of luffa sponges each summer.
And now let's please enjoy this "artful" photo of my swiss chard which is really simply to distract you from all the weeds surrounding it.
The chard is frost tolerant (not as tolerant as kale) so it'll stay put under a row cover and I'll continue to pick it, possibly until November or December.
Remember the pantyhose cabbage? It's still growing.
Cabbage can stay in the ground forever really so I'm just going to leave this until I need it.
And finally the green hairy balls.
This branch alone has inspired me to maybe grow them again next year so I can take Ikebana classes and use them. In the meantime I'm watching this woman's Ikebana videos over and over. She's so very calming.
I won't be able to take her classes, because she's in Seattle, but my city has a Japanese Cultural Centre that offers classes in Ikebana.
The last thing in the garden that needed to be harvested before frost got it was sweet potatoes.
These sweet potatoes are now in a bin to cure for the next few weeks so they develop their sweet flavour. If you dig up a sweet potato and have it for dinner that night it won't taste like a sweet potato and you'll think you're a terrible sweet potato farmer.
Although that might be the case, it isn't why your sweet potatoes taste like nothing. They need time to develop and convert their sugars which takes weeks. The curing helps jump-start that process plus it hardens the skin which allows the sweet potato to keep moisture in and store longer.
"...but who really likes green peppers?"
I don't know what you're talking about, she said while dutifully crunching on yet another green pepper in her lunch box.
Gack! ~ karen
I have no where to cure my sweet potatoes, but even though they weren't sweet straight up, they did still taste good. I just sliced them, tossed with oil, salted and roasted. Different, but nice. (Ok, weird, but good. Lol.)
Those are some Glossy Peppers! Yummy looking.
But seriously - where do you find your bushel baskets? No way there's an amazon link for those?!
Thanks too for the tips regarding sweet potato Maturity - not growing them but - still feel the need to know. Sort of like the notion that brussel sprouts need a frost. Like Knowing.
Oh! Those weren't bought. :) They were from tomatoes I bought this year. I had to supplement my own tomato harvest for pressing. ~ karen!
Please,please tell me where you bought your pink zinnias?
Those are from the Floret seed collection. The variety is called "Victorian Wedding". They don't have any seed for sale now but I would hope/assume they will be next late winter/spring. ~ karen!
I'm in Northern Arizona for a couple more weeks. No frost yet, but we're having intermittent pea-sized hail mixed with big raindrops. I just scrambled to cover my tiny garden.
Thank you for the info about celosia. That's one of the few flowers that tolerate our shade and the stupid javalenas won't eat. I'll be planting more next year.
Hi there - um, what are javalenas? I know. I Could look it up - but I thought I'd rather just ask you!
Javalenas are the desert southwest's version of wild pigs, but they're actually pecarries, not pigs. They're ugly and smelly and mean. They travel in packs and destroy gardens.
They look kindda cute. But so do raccoons, skunks and mice. ~ karen!
We can really see how much you plant, grow, problem solve and produce as you put out this type of post. Wow. I am impressed and what a lovely chard photo. Cool to take it at night. How are your furry owl friends?
The owls come and go! I'd say one or the other is in the box 4-5 days a week. ~ karen!
I highly recommend that you follow up and take the Ikebana class. I lived in Korea 50 years ago and took a class through the USO. It changed forever how I saw and arranged flowers and stems. I promise you won't regret it.
I've wanted to take an Ikebana class since 2003! So yes, I think it is about time, lol. ~ karen!
We've had two nights with frost up here in Norwood, I did pick just about everything but will be bringing my celery and massive Vulcan chard in today. I'm leaving some carrots in the ground, cabbage and kale can stay too. For now.
My luffa and sweet potato plants are sitting under thick clear plastic. I'm hoping they can stay out there before a hard frost arrives. The sweet potatoes are even blooming. They're calling for 20 degree weather this weekend and early next week. Maybe the tiny little green figs will have a chance to ripen. Wish me luck.
Good luck! I'm still waiting on 2 dahlias to bloom for the first time this year! ~ karen
I guess you can grow sweet potato this far north… had no idea
Yes! I started experimenting with it about 15 years ago when information on sweet potato growing was scarce. As long as you follow my guide for growing sweet potatoes anyone an do it. ~ karen!
I was wondering what you do with all the food you grow as I think you are a single women who lives alone and you never post anything about fabulous dinner parties that you throw for all your lovely and admiring friends!! and you are always doing soooo much I wonder do you even sit down to eat!! Please reveal your secrets!! Your faithful admirer who lives in France.
Bonjour Joy! I preserve and eat allllll the food. I either cook into meals that I freeze throughout the summer or I preserve the ingredients through canning, drying or freezing. I still have to go to the grocery store but I rarely have to ever buy vegetables. My onions aren't storing well because they got wet, so I'll have to buy onions this winter eventually. And lettuce, if I haven't grown any/enough of my own in the winter. :) No, I don't have time for fabulous dinner parties, but I do have the odd, "come on over for pizza" party. ~ karen!
And thus another new tidbit of information has found its resting place in my poor old bone head. Ikebana now and forever shall reside therein. So...thanks, I'll never do it of course, but should it ever come up in a future conversation, I will at least be word savvy. Following your blog these past years and being witness to your agri-dedication has been educational and entertaining, even though it does reinforce my choice to grocery shop for any 'grown' thing. What can I say? I luv yer stuff.
If Philip doesn't stop walking through fields of burrs there will be many more words you've never heard of spewing from me. ~ karen!
I'm a Vietnam Vet - I will wager several loonies that I've heard most all words you may have - and often said words ARE appropriate to the situation. LOL