fall already?

I am not sure when it happened but the summer is gone and we are smack dab in fall.  This summer was disappointing in many ways so I would not wish it back.  The weather did not cooperate, the harvests were meager and the blogging just did not happen.  I was thinking that it had been at least a month since I had last sat down to put pen to paper (fingers to keyboard?).  But it was nearly three months ago since I have written here and my recipe blogs have not fared much better.  I have been trying a few new recipes and taking pictures now and then so that I would have them when I was able to get back to it, so now it is time to get it all on the page and hit 'publish'. 

Where are things at with the garden?  After a couple of overnight frosts that took out the tomatoes we are predicted to have some nice weather over the next 10 days.  I am hoping that will allow me to get the remaining vegetables out of the garden and the garden put to bed for the winter. Moisture seems to be a feast or famine situation this year.  Right now we are in the famine stage and I fear that i will need to water just to be able to harvest some root crops, pull up the old plants and work in some compost.  What a change from our very wet spring and heavy rains of the summer. 

 I am also seeding for the winter greenhouse.  I began planting for the winter on September 30, seeding lettuces, mustards and Asian greens into cell trays.  Those first trays have sprouted and some are developing their second set of leaves.  Soon they will be ready for transplanting into the gutter planters and the tubs.  I have seeded a few more trays which are on the heat mat and there will be more to come once those have sprouted and are moved off the mat.  It is great to be back in the greenhouse.  On sunny days it is warm enough to need to run the fan for a few hours.  After a discouraging summer garden I am optimistic about the winter.  Each year we learn more about the greenhouse environment.  Last year was colder than normal and I ended up moving the tables away from the glazing so this year we are starting with the tables in the center of the room.  Also this year we will try hanging the gutter planters in an east-west direction instead of the north-south direction that we have used since the greenhouse was built.  It should make for easier traffic patterns with the tables in the space where I used to walk.   

baby greens