November's Garden (2020)

The winter garden looks sad and forlorn.  It was a mad rush to get the seedlings planted, the hoop houses up and except for harvesting, it has since been neglected.  My time has been spent on other projects and helping Bill recover from his surgery. 

There are ten houses - more than any previous year and they are bursting at the seams.  

This was the last area planted and was an afterthought.  Everything was used and no supplies were left.  It is made from discarded bent fencing with leftover bits of hoop house fabric tossed over the top.  This was all I could find after scrounging around in the junky shed. A package of assorted lettuces was planted under it.  This will provide many winter salads and could be done by anyone with a little bit of soil.

The front row beside the yard has varieties that won't make it through the winter and the back row is the assorted unknown greens. 

 

The front row hasn't been weeded or mulched because the vegetables will be picked before harsh January weather arrives.

The suspicious trailer sitting beside the shed covered in a blue tarp that keeps appearing in the background of these pictures is a load of horse manure.  It was a gracious gift from the horse trainer who is pasturing his horses in our field.  He brought it to me after they cleaned out their stalls.  I am thrilled! It is slowly being spread over the garden to decompose over the winter.  My garden has been pushed to produce and the soil is being depleted.  This is exactly what it needs.

It exudes a zesty aroma.

The rest of the garden looks like a jungle when the covers are removed.  It has been a thrill touring non-gardening friends this month.  The shock on their faces when they round the corner of the house and see the garden is priceless.

The great potato experiment continues.  Those that sprouted under the hoop houses are still alive but those out in the open died after the second hard frost.  When these die, I will dig them to see if there are any potatoes below.

The Conquistador Celery that tasted horrible all spring and summer actually changed flavor after the first few frosts and is now edible. Who knew!  The stalks have grown big and thick and are scrumptious with pimento cheese. 

The Tronchuda Kales have decided to bolt.  It is a disappointment but to see a flower blooming this time of the year is a pleasant surprise.  They will be tossed into salads.

Today something strange happened while I was picking dinner.  A small possum came from the woods, squeezed through the fence, and climbed into the compost pile.  They are nocturnal animals who are rarely seen during the daylight so it was a surprise to see one closeby.  As I walked toward the compost pile to dump a bucket of leaves, it didn't run but froze. 

When I was a few feet away, I realized his left ear was missing and the left side of his head was injured.  Since we don't have any livestock it could kill, I decided to let him enjoy my rotten pumpkins.  Everybody deserves a feast of Thanksgiving leftovers.

Last Month's October Garden (2020)

Last Year's November Garden (2019)