Super Rutabaga!

Today I pulled my first rutabaga, to add to the soup stock pot.  I don't think the others are this big.  It must have hit a concentration of fertilizer. But even so, it wasn't at all tough or woody.

The last of the three beds has been taken out.  I pulled out the remaining beets and carrots. Now I just have to figure out how to remove the asparagus.  Even with a shovel, I can't budge it.  Maybe after we get some rain it will be easier.

I've transplanted all the dahlias into the bed the tomatoes had been in.  This will be a bed for cutting flowers.  Next spring I'll put in lots of annuals.

And the parsnips have finally all sprouted.

First Empty Bed

Today I pulled out the tomatoes.  They were getting to be tasteless, and with rain expected they'll all be cracking. 

Fried green tomatoes for supper!

The Peppers are Finished

Today I pulled out the pepper plants.  I salvaged the ones that were usable, which turned out to be quite a few.

I stuffed two for supper and cut the rest into strips to put in the freezer to become fajitas this winter.  I got enough for nine meals.

One More Plant

I promised David that I wouldn't buy any more plants this year.  We're trying to limit our outdoor watering, and a new plant needs lots of water. 

But last week Jackie was visiting, and we stopped by 13th Street Nursery.  Bad idea.  I couldn't help myself when I saw an Amsonia ciliata on sale.  I had seen it featured in an article on Gardenista about fall color.  Sooooo....  I bought one. I'd like to think Jackie made me do it, but she really didn't have to twist my arm.

Winter Greens

I've sown some winter greens in the holes in the garden beds.  In the bed where the squash was, I planted parsnips, kale, lettuce, and spinach on September 26.  All but the parsnips are up.

 Lettuce:

Kale:

On September 29, I sowed arugula in another bed. It is also up.

I've started taking out the asparagus bed, but the roots of the plants are huge.  There's no way to get the plants out in one piece.  I'll just have to chop them out in pieces.

On another note, the stink bugs have gone into hibernation mode big time.  We're killing many dozen on the house every day.