Cue the music: “To everything, turn, turn, turn. There is a season, turn, turn, turn...” No, a singer I am not, but these days I am abundantly aware that we are changing seasons, and the fresh spring garden that I planted seemingly just days ago, is starting to turn, turn, turn:
This being our first big (compared to what we’ve done in the past) garden, I am wondering...will these mysterious pepper turn into bell peppers, or are they full-grown? Maybe a taste is in order to figure out what dish I can create using them.
Will these heirloom Purple Cherokee Tomatoes ever, ever, ever turn red or purple? And will we be able to enjoy them ripe, or is a green tomato recipe in my future?
Why are my Roma Tomato plants fading? Are they just spent from the hot summer or did I do something wrong?
When should I begin harvesting this basil to make pesto? The boys love helping make pesto!
It struck me suddenly how the garden has changed in the last week, how things are slowing down, dying out and fading. Isn’t this the garden we *just* planted? How can the growing season be waning already?
A quick glance at my calendar answers my questions: it is the second-half of September and autumn is coming quick. Soon we’ll be pulling out these plants and preparing for frost and snow. And once the snow comes, and the calendar changes to a new year, I am sure we will begin new seeds in preparation for a new growing season.
To everything, turn, turn, turn. Until then, I need to keep picking and processing tomatoes so we can enjoy the bounty of the season into the winter. More on that tomorrow...
SPC