After that second frost yesterday morning, we’ve been crazy busy, pulling things in that should be in, ahead of the rains that are forecast. Will loaded up the truck with a heaping pile of Hopi Pale Grey squash while I did the final tilling of the section of the Wolf Garden that had two failed corn crops this year, due to the crazy weather. Obviously, there were too many squash to put in the house. So, Will backed up to the barn and unloaded them there. They’ll keep until Lynn and Jesse come get their haul, before the weather turns very cold. In the barn, they’ll be protected from any future frosts. At least for a while. Then, on a roll, Will gathered up a big load of Porcupine and Costata Romanesco squash from the Sand Garden, finishing up with a big load of Gete Okosomin squash from the Main Garden.
Meanwhile, I went out to the North Garden and picked Sweet Fall squash and another big crate of sweet corn for me to can. As it had been frosted, I knew it wouldn’t keep too long on the stalk before getting starchy. It was pick it or lose it. I’d offered it to several people but had no takers. I also picked two crates plus some in a bucket, of dry beans in the Wolf Garden — Crawford and Folsom Indian Ruin. We were tired puppies last night!
Today, it’s raining steadily and pretty cool out. But I’m sitting on the front porch, shucking and cutting sweet corn off the cob while a big roasting pan of tomato sauce is cooking down in the oven to can up later today as spaghetti sauce. Between that and the sweet corn, it’s going to be a busy, busy day. But it’s that time of the year and we’re very grateful to have such a good harvest.
There are some huge Leelanau Sweet Glo watermelons in the Wolf Garden, yet to pick. I want to make some watermelon rind sweet pickles from the rinds. We really love it. (If you’ve never had homemade watermelon rind pickles, you’re missing something!) I’ve got quite a few jalapeños out in the Sand and Wolf Gardens, plus quite a few Sugar Rush and Striped Sugar Rush Peach hot peppers in the hoop houses, along with some sweet peppers in the hoop houses too. I can’t wait to make Gaucho Relish and Cowboy Candy! — Jackie
I’m in zone 8b in Arizona so I’m still planting cool weather crops as we rarely get a killing frost. I grow in raised beds that have hoop houses over them I can cover with frost blankets or plastic, but last winter our low temp was only 27 F and that on only a couple of nights. Didn’t bother my cold weather crops at all.
I’m still harvesting tomatoes, though my cukes and squash look to be done. I’ve been growing Hopi Grey for years now that I got from you. I skipped it this year but just ate the last one after it had been in storage for 11k months. Still good. Amazing. If it didn’t take up so much room I’d grow it every year. Was wondering if you’d ever tried growing them vertically, which is what I’ll have to do to save space. But they get so large I wonder how best to support them to keep them from falling off the vine.
The only cucumbers I’ve had any success with over the past 15 years of trying every variety imaginable are Armenian (not really a cuke), Sweet Success (F1) and Tasty Green (another F1). Trying for sustainability I took cuttings from the Sweet Success, rooted them and kept them inside as houseplants in a small greenhouse. Then, late last spring I transplanted them out into large pots. Wah-lah. The same delicious, productive cukes without having to save seeds. I do the same thing with an F1 cherry tomato called Sugar Rush (Brix of 10).
Yes, you can grow Hopi Pale Grey vertically, although you’ll need a very strong trellis. You can use cattle panels, formed up like a hoop, over shade-loving crops like lettuce. No, they won’t fall off the vines. But you do have to make sure you are careful to train them up onto the panels or they’ll take over the space below them. I’ve had them climb trees, hanging squash 20′ above ground!
Yep, cuttings will work but with everything else, I prefer growing and saving seeds from open pollinated crops instead of hybrids. Less work than keeping cuttings alive all winter, as houseplants. But if you enjoy it, have at it and save money! Good idea.
Sure understand the rush to get everything in. We still have crops in the field and thankfully haven’t had our first real frost yet. Been in the low 40s here during the last week or so. Lots of canning going on here too. Getting harder to do everything as we’re “older” too. Hang in there… thanks for keeping us all updated on your activities!
It’s wonderful that you haven’t had a frost yet. We could have done without our 2! But, everything is coming in nicely. Now we need some nice, sunny days.
Wow Jackie, when do you sleep?! No garden for me this year. I’m worn out with three big surgeries. Two back surgeries and a knee replacement. Then the surgeon wants to know when will I do the other one!
When not asleep or resting I’m getting ready to get new furniture in the house. I generally buy furniture only from yard sales or thrift stores. But with us having creaky knees and backs we decided to get lift chairs. Wooh expensive.
But climbing up in years the weather is affecting us more and more. Other stuff we need will be our usual buying places. It’s always amazing to me what people will dump or sale to get something new.
I’m also looking for a used tiller and maybe a used riding lawnmower. This is the best time to look for these things. We only went with new chairs because we concerned about them not working very long.
I’m wanting to put in a big garden but I’m not sure I can handle it for next year with more surgeries looming.
I don’t know how you do it all. Are you sure you aren’t two of you?
Oh gee, I totally get you not having a garden this year. I schedule my surgeries for January, when I’m doing less than usual. I pray your knee surgeries turn out better than mine did. Most folks’ do. I’m one of the unlucky ones, I guess.
Nope, there’s only one very old me. I just keep plugging along every day, doing what I can and biting myself because I wanted to do more. My mind thinks I’m 28 and my 80 year old body just laughs itself silly.
Dear Jackie, Had my second knee replacement a week ago; this knee not so bad as the other done in February 2025. God bless you.
“It’s a messy time of the year on our front porch!”. You’re just making use of Mother Nature’s frig (eventual freezer).
And I’d rather have the mess on the porch, where I can hose it off and the flies aren’t so bad as they would be in the house. Just hornets I try not to pinch.
So much appreciate your pictures. Just look forward to seeing your progress in this journey for staying prepared. Last year was Very abundant gardening so canned up everything and very glad to have extra. This year few cucumbers and then the heat. So really appreciate your leadership in this canning and stocking the pantry. Your cookbooks and advice are what keeps us busy and productive, instead of listening to the Fear and Panic so prevalent in the News. I have my Seed Treasures garden seed purchased ahead and stored in large glass jar for Peace of Mind. Just having that makes it easier to cope
I totally agree with you, Joann. I guess we’re just independent people, wanting to do as much for ourselves as possible. Depending on others can be dicey, especially when things go bad. This year, we were blessed with tons of tomatoes and sweet corn. (See what happens when God is your gardening partner??) I don’t “need” more tomato-based foods, nor sweet corn. But, guess what? I’m canning all I possibly am able. Who knows? Maybe next year, I’ll fall and break a leg or something.
Wow! Your photos make me tired just thinking about how hard you two are working. Overflowing pantry is a good bet these days.We’re heading into a little rain according to forecast.No frost is expected Have to pull in the squash today that’s ready. Put up9 1/2 pints of tomato sauce, not thick enough to call paste but super handy for so many recipes for just the two of us Hope you guys get Some down time To prepare for tomorrow! Loved hearing how Gypsy has settled in 💖
There really isn’t any down time around here; just less physical time. Like right now. I’m sitting at the computer, writing this while Will is out unloading the heaping truckload of firewood we brought home from a nearby logging site. My sweet corn is in the canner, waiting to exhaust. When Will comes in, he’ll have a bit of lunch and take a break. Then back at it again. Winter’s coming like a freight train on a downhill slope.
Wow, you are so busy. I thought I was tired just putting up the few veggies that our food pantry couldn’t put out yesterday. A soft pumpkin, a crate of over ripe bananas, etc. But you have me beat.
But aren’t we having fun too? Yep, like you, I get tired. But at the end of the day, I can look back at what I’ve done and feel happy. I wish I could send you a truckload of pumpkins. We have so many. I think the cows will get most of them.
Ouch! Hope the cows appreciate the pumpkins. They have to eat too. It might be worth a trip to help if I wasn’t 81. I can’t even do much at all here anymore with all these heart issues. Thank God for produce stands and farmer’s markets. I can what I get my hands on. It’s just me, so I will be okay. God bless you.
Did you know you can make banana jam?
I didn’t. I’ll have to check it out. These bananas are in the freezer, waiting to be made into cookies for the homeless ministry the food bank also provides. I take home produce rejects and repurpose them. The pumpkin also became cookies, as will the leaking bag of sugar that came in.
💚🫒🌷💚🌷🫒💚
That’s a lotta squash! If I may ask, what do you do with all of it? I know you said some will go to Lynn & Jesse for seed, but that still leaves a lot! It’s been cool and rainy here in east NE the last couple weeks. Still one sweet potato to dig, and 2 lonely little guerimon martinique on the vine. They didn’t form until about a month ago because of the hot weather so I’m hoping they mature before we get a frost. Even though you have so much to do, be sure to take time to rest too!
I’m resting right now, sitting at the computer. LOL We’ll eat a lot and give plenty away to friends. Fortunately, when kept at house temperature, they’ll last a year, so we have time to gobble them up. Okay, so our friends and neighbors can gobble some up too. I make pumpkin pie and bread out of it too.
I, too, have made watermelon rind pickles-great stuff. No frost here, but much cooler. Wood stove cleaned out and ready. Now I’m doing fall cleanup. Picked the last of the green beans. Some more squash to pick. Busy time as we “button down the hatches”. I’ve had two mature hens die for no apparent reason. Things happen that I can’t explain. Whatever happened to those acreage lots for sale near you? I hope nothing.
Thank God, nothing has happened with the acreages that were for sale. We’re burning our new wood stove these cool days. Not a big fire, just enough to take the chill off. It feels good when you come in from outside in the wet, cold wind.
Sometimes chickens just die. It’s a fact of life. As long as it doesn’t continue, I would worry. We’re pulling in more produce every day, plus Will has been hauling wood home from a logging site fairly close by. We have a giant pile of wood in the yard and lots of smaller piles, here and there. I hope we can get to splitting and hauling it in very soon as the garden’s about done.
Sadly, your emails were going into my spam folder for months before I found them there yesterday and marked them as ‘not spam’! Reading this made me realize how much I’ve been missing. Reading your updates makes me shake my head in amazement at just how much you and Will do in one day. Surely you must each have a clone? Where can I get mine? :) Glad to be back to catching up with you.
Gee, I’m so sorry that happened!!! And I’m glad you’re back. Nope, neither Will nor I have a clone but I’m sure wishing we had a couple right now. I’ve got spaghetti sauce in the canner and corn cut off the cob to pressure can this evening. We’ve got to take a “break” and go pick our car up at the repair shop, where we’ll, I’m sure, be dropping off a good chunk of change. Ouch!! It has nearly 300,000 miles on it so I can’t grouse too much. Sure, wouldn’t buy a new one. That’s for sure!
It’s a busy time of year. No frost here in central MO but cool and probably rain for about a week.
I am guessing the picture is your house in the foreground and barn in the back?
I love your enthusiasm about gardening and canning. It is contagious. We don’t have that much here, but it is enough to keep us busy.
We will be harvesting honey soon.
That picture is me standing on the front porch, pointing toward our storage barn. It’s for “junk”, not animals. It also includes our woodshed on the near end.
Oh, honey!! That’s a big one. I’m so happy for you!