First let me say that this summer’s vegetable garden struggled! We had waaay too many days of rain and when it wasn’t raining it was really really hot (and now there’s no rain). So this was my worst tomato year but my best cucumber year! As most of you know, I use raised beds in my vegetable garden.
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Anyway, it’s almost down right cold today (50’s is cold here 🙂 ) and I’m getting ready to clear some beds for some fall veggies. I thought I’d show you what I harvested so far.
Popcorn! Those cobs are popcorn! This is my first year growing popcorn so I wasn’t too sure when to harvest them but I looked online and I think I timed it right. They now have to dry for a few weeks to be ready to pop. I’ll be sure to take a photo when we pop some to show you what size they pop. Aren’t they pretty? I could use them in my fall decorating as well!
Sweet potatoes! I still have almost a full raised bed to harvest. I should have known better than to use a pitch fork and I of course speared that really big one. We eat sweet potatoes at least once a week (which is why I grew them this year). I tried growing some blue potatoes in a container and all I got was 2 blue potatoes! I’m going to stop growing potatoes in containers. I never have good luck with them (I think it’s too hot here and the containers heat up too much).
Peanuts! Now I’m not sure how to harvest these. Some people say wait for the green part to die back and other’s say dig some up and see if they look like mature peanuts. So I decided to test a small area. They look like peanuts but I think they could go another few weeks so I won’t be digging up anymore right now.
Eggplants! Well I decided to leave them on the vine for a few more days. But I’ve got 5 that’ll be ready to be picked then. I have a great recipe for low carb lasagna that uses eggplant and zucchini instead of pasta – that’s on my meal plan for next week!
I also have tons of peppers of all kinds and sizes that will be ready soon! Hopefully it won’t get too cool at night too soon and they’ll have a chance to mature.
The zinnias in my vegetable garden are starting to fade but I have these fuzzy purple flowers (I forget what they’re called). They’re really invasive. I’ve been pulling them out for 10 years but I like to keep a few because they provide some late summer color in the garden.
Also, a few posts back I mentioned that I plant my mums and they come back every year. A few people said they aren’t able to do that in their area. I just wanted to show one of the mums I planted last fall. I think they look better in the garden the next year than they do in pots!
Fall is in the air! I hope the weather isn’t faking me out. It can be like that in Georgia! 🙂
That is so strange- two hours a way from you and we had a good tomato year and for the first time ever no cucumbers! That flower is ageratum. I have some by my sedum- so pretty!
Thanks Angela! Bluemink is the one I have. That is strange but I always tell people that all gardens are different. I replanted my tomatoes last month -I’m hoping it doesn’t get too cold (although yesterday felt like fall) so they have a chance. I may get a few tomatoes from those replants. You could have come over and gotten some cucumbers. I had so many I didn’t know what to do with them. We finally just started putting them in our morning smoothies!
What a beautiful garden. I’m jealous!
Your harvest looks wonderful Manuela.
2 years ago… we had the best garden. Last year and this year. NOT!
I harvested about 1 bushel of red potatoes…some green beans enough for about 4 meals… and some small grape tomatoes. Everything else… hmmmph!
My sustainable gardening wouldn’t be very sustainable if I were actually having to survive off it. I’m wondering if I should try and acquire a taste for ‘grasshoppers’.
That’s what did my gardening in…no the drought so much… we were very keen with the watering.
Is that purple flower blooming from a cluster of berries? It looks like it may be a beauty bush? But I’ve only seen berries…no blooms.
Pat
Manuela,
LOVE that pic of the popcorn; it is pure fall!! Also, your white picket fence around your garden is so pretty, especially as it is flourishing with little dainty flowers! You had a good harvest. Considering that we are in the Mediterranean, our green peppers, eggplants and zucchini didn’t last very long, although they were very tasty! Autumn is in the air and soon enough, its bounty will be bursting out of the ground!
xo
Poppy
Love your harvest:) We used raised beds this year THANKS TO YOU! Enjoy your day dear friend, HUGS!
I just read another post where they did potatoes in containers and they turned out fine, but I think they are up north.
I missed my garden this year. You harvest looks great!
We had a poor garden year too. We are thankful for a few tomatoes, some onions, carrots…our lettuce did really well.
I am going to put my perennial garden to rest, this next week. The summer flowers are spent and it is time.
Deanna
We had a so so year for the garden. Lots of rain, and very hot for a while, maybe that’s what contributed to not getting much. I think I got one zucchini, lots of tomatoes but they rotted on the vine before they ripened! A smattering of green beans, barely enough for a meal. But the zinnias look great and I love the garden anyway!
You got some great things from yours. I don’t know if we could grow peanuts up north here or not, but we love sweet potatoes and could probably do those!
Where the heck in GA is it already in the 50’s?!? Love receiving your emails, everything seems so doable. 🙂
Thanks! I’m not one for too many complicated projects.
LOL! Tonight it’s going to be in the 60s! Actually I think it got up to 71 by mid afternoon yesterday. We had cloud cover all day and a cool breeze – we were supposed to get rain but never did. Today it was back to high 70’s low 80’s. But the AM is starting out in the 60’s now (which feels cool). Monday it’s supposed to start out 62 – we’ll see what happens.
Wow – 50 at night or day time high? The growing season has been crazy in a lot of areas this year. The hickory nuts are in the tree as usual this year, but the squirrels have not been dining al fresco like they usual do. The squirrels are still around, but something is just off this year. I know my flowers did not rebound like they should have after the crazy Spring.
Enjoy your weekend.
You certainly have a great veggie harvest. I think it’s so cool that you grew popcorn and peanuts. It’ll be so exciting to see your own popcorn “pop” and then be able to eat it! My neighbor stuck a mum in the ground last year and I see it coming back this year. I was really surprised; you usually don’t see that in northern IL.
You sure made the best of an off year! I am sure that everything will be especially tasty!
I had no idea that peanuts could be grown in a non commercial garden. That is really amazing and I’m so impressed with how beautiful all of your plants are.
You are a gardening rockstar Manuela!!! You are such an inspiration! I love visiting here.
XoX
LOL! Thanks Tracey! I see you on Pinterest 🙂 Are you not blogging anymore? I hope all is well with you and your family.
Your “pop” corn is gorgeous! What a beautiful color! Can you please tell me what side of your house you placed your mums? I would love to plant mine but don’t know what can of sun to give them once they are in the ground.
Thank you!
Hi Jane, those pictured are on the side of the barn but I have them planted all over the place. The ones that do really well are in part sun (I’m in Georgia). They aren’t a shade plant but I think our hot Georgia sun fries them if it’s too much direct sun. So a place with 4 hours or so ours of sun if you are in a hot climate.
I have raised beds too and this was also our worse year. The only thing that grew will was our green peppers.
Wow Manuela! You are some gardener! Your crop looks good to me. I stick to flower gardening because it would drive me nuts seeing everything eaten by rabbits, groundhogs and bugs and I don’t use pesticides. Someday I’d like to learn more about organic gardening and using good bugs etc. to eat the pests. Your popcorn looks amazing! Can’t to hear out how it works out when you pop it.
Manuela, I love this post! Your garden is such an inspiration to me 🙂
Thank you! It makes me so happy to hear that 🙂
I didn’t expect to see popcorn and peanuts…just regular veggies so this was fun. I have enjoyed viewing your gardens over the summer and this was no exception! I have a big zinnia right now that was from last year’s pot…it’s a crimson and doubled in size…love it! You are so right about transplanting them ! 🙂
Hi Debra!
Aren’t zinnias great! I’m getting ready to plant a little fall garden. Should have some posts coming soon.
Thanks for visiting!