Monday

The Coming of Fall


Yesterday a cool front came through bringing a little rain and wind, and by the time our nightly chores came along it was in the 60s and we some of us needed jackets. Annika fed the chickens under her brothers' supervision while I fed the goats and Cohen filled up waters.


Then we went through the garden. The season is winding down. This year has been frustrating for me. We are learning the land, the pests, and the climate. This year was a learning year. I am learning that the mountains of North Carolina are not the same as the Tennessee Valley. I have a long list of what needs to be done before next spring.


Most of the zucchini and tomatoes are done and we pulled them up today. You can see the wood chips did their job and kept the weeds away. The peppers are still going strong. And I have lots of basil, tarragon and parsley. The sweet potatoes will be dug up just before the first frost.


We spent the day outside today. Pulling spent plants, adding more cover and compost to spots that never got mulched the first go round.  The chickens destroyed half my tomato crop this year, but they did a wonderful job in the compost bin. It's best looking compost that has ever come from our own heap.


 So for next year, the garden will get fenced. It will be expanded. It may or may not get raised beds. And in my head, it looks beautiful. The weather is turning, and I have all fall and winter to get those plans figured out and into reality.

linked to the Homestead Barn Hop, Country Garden Showcase,


3 comments:

  1. You wouldn't think it would be that different. It looks like your land is beautiful! Chickens got so many of our tomatoes too! I guess we need to fence our garden :( Your kids look like they are having fun too. :)

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  2. I think your garden looks great. I am looking forward to my first batch of wintered goat/chicken compost. No more big box store compost for me. It sounds like you've learned a lot about your new climate/soil in a short period of time. I look forward to reading about your progress next spring.

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