Farewell to October

This was our first October in our new home in the hill country of Texas and I just can't help but marvel at how beautiful it was.  These are the last pictures I took of our yard in all it's October glory and I just had to share.  The last few nights have been pretty cold and the images in these pictures will not be seen again for another year as frost has nipped and transformed just about everything including my nose!  I pulled out the heat lamps for the hen house and our dog Maisy and decided not to cover any of the plants in the yard because there are just too many and I'm okay with Winter having it's way.  We have mostly perennials and evergreens, anyway, but I was really sad to see my beloved Zinnias go.  Also, I hated losing the basil and figs.  The figs were so close to being ripe my mouth was watering, but alas, they are not going to make it this year:(  I hoped to harvest some Winter squash and tomatoes from the Fall garden, but no such luck.  All the blooms and baby squash and tomatoes are gone, too.  Next year I will know to plant the Fall garden earlier and I'll be better prepared for the cold season.

I am happy to say that the lettuce, arugula, kale, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, mustard greens, sage, and chives are holding up nicely, as they should.  The first head of broccoli made it's appearance last week!

Goodbye, October.  It was good.  You will be missed.

Outside Lisa

Get Your Protein!

The Fall garden is overflowing with beautiful lettuce and greens right now and my girls are laying up a storm so I've been taking advantage and making myself some pretty great salads lately with yummy boiled eggs for protein.  I pick every leaf myself and usually don't even wash it because there is nothing on it...no chemicals, no dirt...nothing.  Well, to my surprise, today in my gorgeous salad I had an extra little something special to up the protein content even more...A TINY CATERPILLAR!!!  I was at the bottom of the bowl, where stabbing no longer really works for lettuce and you have to start scooping.  And there he was, like a thorn in my organic gardener side, rolled up tight looking like a peppercorn.  I thought to myself...I didn't use peppercorn, what is this?  And then he started to move!  All I could think about was...have I already eaten his friends?  his parents?  Needless to say, I was DONE with my salad and tossed Mr. Peppercorn into the garbage.  Organic gardening has its ups and downs.  You just have to take the good with the bad and enjoy the adventure!

Today in the Garden

It's a glorious day in the Texas Hill Country today.  Everything in my Fall garden is thriving in this beautiful weather.  We are in the high 50's at night and high 80's during the day.  

In the vegetable and herb garden

eggplant

bell peppers

jalapenos

leeks

okra

green beans

mustard greens

lettuce of all kinds

basil 

arugula

stevia

oregano

thyme

chives

In the flower garden

Zinnias

Celosia

Mexican Bush Sage

Purple Cone Flower

Red Bachelor Buttons

Purple and Orange Cosmos

Pink Dahlias

In the coop

Buffy has gone broody, AGAIN!  We are getting 2-3 eggs a day.  There should be more.  I have a feeling she is keeping the other hens from feeling comfortable laying in the coop and they may be laying elsewhere.  Guess we need an egg hunt!

Enjoy your day,

Outside Lisa