The Fall Garden

I had to break out the sweatshirts today.   And that’s all I’m saying about the incredible unfairness of Summer ending already.

Things are winding down in the garden now, too.  The butterfly weeds are going to seed and I foresee a jungle of pink flowers next year if even one tenth of the seeds germinate.

 

 

The butterfly weeds are also hosts to all sorts of bugs that I don’t want, but I’m happy to see them on the flowers instead of the veggies.

 

  

 

They also host some insects that I do want to encourage in my garden.

 

I would highly recommend planting butterfly weed in your own garden to encourage the beautiful Monarch butterfly to visit.  My plants are covered in these caterpillars, but not one is on the cabbage!

 

 

This is the Orange Fleshed Purple Smudge tomato that I planted for the first time this year.  It will probably also be the last year.  The plant is prolific, covered in standard-sized orange tomatoes, but the flavor isn’t anything to write home about and there’s just nothing exceptional about it.  Oh well, that leaves me more room for trying something new next year!

 

 

I’m sorry baby watermelon, but I really don’t think you have a chance in hell of growing to delicious maturity before frost hits.

 

 

I end this post with a happy Zinnia.

 

And an even happier butterfly.