the garden at the end of october 2024.

dried, wild garlic blossoms

every stalwart moonlight sonata

dried, black-eyed susans

one of the final harvests :: eggplant, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peppers & carrots

popcorn drift roses

dried, iris seed pod

black-eyed susan vine

peruviana zinnia

lettuce

the turning of the red bud

Although I don't necessarily like math, I do enjoy numbers as they relate to accounting and home economics. This modest 1/3 of an acre has been packed with beauty and abundance over these 22 years of gardening. We specifically grow vegetables with approximately 1,052 of square feet: a combination of 24 raised beds, 2 in-ground beds and 14 arches and supports. The 2024 garden provided a record number of vegetables - 756 pounds - with record numbers of potatoes, squash and turnips being harvested. If these vegetables were purchased from the store they would have cost in total around $2,125. I'm not saying we'd buy $400 of squash from the grocery store or farmer's market, but if that is what we grow for the price of two packets of seeds, around $6, well, we'll take it and be impressed with what we are able to reap.

I don't have details on the floral situation, but it might be fun to take inventory. There has been talk of the addition of a small greenhouse in lieu of the fact that our favorite plant supplier was put on the market last season. We do mostly grow from seed, but I have always been content to purchase tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, herbs since I don't have a designated indoor area for seed starting. A greenhouse would be a beautiful, practical solution. 

This month of October we harvested the final potatoes, carrots, eggplant, and peppers and all of the sweet potatoes. We are so pleased with all that has been harvested and preserved for the winter. We freeze most of our vegetables, but also have garlic, onions and butternut squash out on open shelving. It is such a convenience to have all these vegetables at the ready. 

November will be putting the garden to bed ~ clearing the dead plants, layering with leaves ~ and it's something of a big task since we grew so much this year. But the weather has turned cool, it is pleasant now to be outdoors and the many hands for the job will make light work.

2024 Garden thru October { 756 lbs. } *Record*

Beets { 1 lb. }

Carrots { 34 lb. }

Cucumbers { 30 lbs. }

Eggplant { 3 lbs. }

Garlic { 12 lbs. } 

Green Beans { 28 lbs.} 

Greens { 12 lbs. }

Ground Cherries { 4 lbs. }

Onions { 28 lbs. }

Potatoes { 203 lbs. } *Record* 

Squash { 213 lbs. } *Record*

Sweet Peppers { 10 lbs. }

Sweet Potatoes { 16 lbs. }

Tomatillos { 20 lbs. }

Tomatoes - Roma { 95 lbs. }

Tomatoes - Cherry { 12 lbs. }

Tomatoes - Sandwich { 18 lbs. }

Turnips { 9 lbs. } *Record*

Herbs & Flowers { 8 lbs. } :: Basil, Sage, Oregano, Chamomile, Rose, Yarrow, Lemon Balm, Mint, Rosemary, Thyme