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Welcome to my Western Pennsylvania garden. Join me on a "Walk Down the Garden Path".

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Veggie Garden Update ~ September 2008

Well it looks like I will get this in under the wire for the 20th. At least, if I type fast.

I have to admit that I haven't been paying too much attention to the vegetable garden as of late, only because there has been so much else going on with Ike and the power loss and our roof / garage project. We are also planning a little trip for next week, so that has taken most of my internet time. But I was able to take a tour today and here is what I found.



The beets and carrots are still there, and getting bigger. They deer haven't been bothering them as of late and so they have actually gotten some tops back. I think I will leave them in the ground a while longer and hope they get a bit larger.



Here was the best surprise. Some of the eggplant had gotten quite large. I will be able to pick these once we are back from our trip.



Here's a little pumpkin. We have several this size. All of the larger ones didn't make it. They were eaten by some creature. So we'll be off to the pumpkin patch to buy some in October.

This picture of the asparagus reminded me of Christmas. Surprisingly, I saw Christmas decorations on display already in the stores. That's a bit much I thought. Let's get through Halloween first.


This is not from the vegetable garden, but it is edible so I thought I would include it. Here are two lemons growing quite nicely. Too bad the plant will have to come inside soon which will rob it of the precious sun it so needs.

11 comments:

tina said...

You have a great veggie garden! And you must let us know about your gourds too. None this year I take it? I do like the asparagus bed and it also reminds me of Christmas decorations. Thanks for updating us all on your veggie garden! Same time next month?:)

Anonymous said...

Great veggie garden update. Your eggplant & pumpkin look great. It looks like you still have some stuff to harvest. I like the Asparagus, it does look like a Christmas decoration in the garden. :)

Rose said...

Your eggplant looks picture perfect! Asparagus is something I've always wanted to grow, but haven't. I didn't know they sprouted decorations in the fall:)

Anonymous said...

Your garden looks good. Some things get pithy, as we say up home, if you let them stay too long. My asparagus is not producing the berries yet. Some of it is in bloom. And it continues to put up the shoots. I just let it go as it's past harvest time.
Tina do you have an asparagus bed?

tina said...

No asparagus bed. Cindy are those red things tomatoes or seeds? I have no experience with asparagus but am contemplating making a bed next year since I gave up on the rhubarb. It sure is pretty. Lola I seem to remember yours does well. Hard to grow?

Cindy said...

Hi Tina ~ Yes, my gourds. They are just sitting in the garage waiting for me to craft them into something. I have mostly the birdhouse gourds but I think I did have one apple gourd dry nice that I can paint on.
As for the red berries on the asparagus - they are asparagus berries. I don't believe they are edible. They form on the fronds which grow when you stop harvesting the asparagus in the early summer. I leave the fronds go all winter and cut them back in the early spring.

PGL ~ Yes there is some stuff still hanging on. I hope the carrots and beets get a little bigger while I wait for them.

Rose ~ I'm so excited about the eggplant. I can't wait to make either eggplant parmesan or maybe just fried eggplant sandwiches.

Lola ~ Yes, I haven't done anything with the asparagus bed since early summer. Those later shoots do get pithy, as you say. I read that only female plants produce the berries and that they can self-sow causing overcrowding in the bed. I've never experienced this, have you ?

Skeeter said...

Your eggplants look great! How did you cook them? We ate our eggplant in stir fry dishes. They are so yummy with rice...

Ah, fresh lemonade please!

Anonymous said...

Looking good, Cindy! I have limes coming on on my greenhouse plant (which has been enjoying life out on the deck with the figs and variegated pink lemon), so I could totally relate. Gack! Time to get the greenhouse ready to house all those plants for the winter!!!

DP Nguyen said...

Your eggplant looks so nice! I am so glad that it's growing wonderfully for you. The pumpkin looks awesome too--just in time for Halloween.

I wish I had a lime tree. How lucky you are.

Cindy said...

Skeeter ~ I usually bread and fry my eggplant. I'll have to try some in stir fry. I don't think I've ever had it that way.

Our Friend Ben ~ Varigated Pink Lemon, that must be pretty. Yes, the one thing about fall that I hate is bringing all the plants in. I wish we had a greenhouse.

DP ~ I'm glad we have a few little pumpkins survive this year. You should try growing some citrus. We just have them growing in pots that we bring in for the winter. They are not too difficult.

Anonymous said...

Sorry I'm so late getting back.
I have no trouble with my asparagus just that I need to remember to mulch with manure for the winter.As I don't live near a farm I have to purchase the manure in the form of chicken pellets or something like Black Cow. I have found asparagus plants in different parts of my property. I don't destroy as it is so expensive in the grocery. I just let it grow. My mother told me many yrs. ago that the richer the soil the more shoots it will put up.