Fall Garden Experiment

Hey y'all! It's finally fall in our neck of the woods and I'm beyond excited about it. 

I've just about let it slip away without showing you what's blooming in the yard and garden.  Speaking of garden. I've been doing some experiments. You want to hear about it?

Ok, first experiment. By the summer's end, the okra had gotten tall and lanky and there was new growth showing up at the base of the plants. So, I thought I would cut them back and see what happens.

Well, lo and behold, the plants started producing more okra. 

 

Then I thought, if it worked for the okra, wonder what it would do for the tomatoes that had become spindly and unruly. Second experiment.

The plants still had lots of tomatoes on them, so I picked them all and cut the plants back. We'll see what happens. 

What does one do with an abundance of green tomatoes? Make fried green tomatoes, of course. Delish!

 

I, also, planted a few fall vegetables....cabbages, collards and lettuce. I've never done this before. It's a learning curve. I may have planted too late for the cabbages because our first frost date is in a couple of weeks. 

 

The collards, however, will be fine. Every respectable southerner knows that they taste sweeter after frost falls on them, anyway. 

Not sure what to expect from the lettuce. They are supposed to be iceberg lettuces, but they don't really look like they are forming heads. 

I have already picked some outer leaves and had a salad. It's so satisfying to know you've grown your own food. Homemade salads! Yes!

There is still some veggies hanging on. I cut the zucchini back and it now has two new babies. 

I had a volunteer cucumber plant pop up. It already has blooms, but I'm afraid it might not make it, if we get frost soon.

The bell pepper plants that didn't do a ding dong thing all summer decided to start producing. 

And, the basil has bolted, but my neighbor spotted honey bees and a bumble bee feeding on the nectar, so I decided to let the bees have it, for now.

Just a few more pictures of things around the house and lake......

A little fall decor..... 

I like it simple.

We've had a few foggy mornings......

 

And, before I leave, I just have to show you a few blooms.... Mums.....

Marigolds....

And, Zinnias.

What's being happening in your fall?

Laurie