As the World Turns

We're still getting some beautiful weather, and the forecast for Friday and Saturday is low 80s!  The coolest night temperature for the next week is forecast for tomorrow - 48 degrees.  Other than that, the night time temp forecast ranges from 52 to a balmy 66 degrees on Friday night.  Quite warm for the end of October.  I'm not complaining.

Since I planted my herbs at the front of the garden, as a whole, and from a distance, it still looks fairly nice.

There are still lots of things growing, and if I hadn't gotten tired of it, I'm sure I would still be harvesting okra.  Instead, I'm expecting to be pulling okra like weeds next spring and summer since I didn't keep the ripening pods clipped off.

The tomato fruits are still looking halfway decent, and I expect with the temperatures that are being forecast, they'll be ripening up faster this week.

They haven't appreciated the cooler weather we've had this month, though, and I'm seeing a fair number that look like this:

By the way, those are stevia flower heads in the harvest basket with the tomatoes. Stevia plants and seeds are expensive, so  I'm hoping to collect viable seed I can start indoors late this winter.  I'm also hoping to collect seed from the ornamental pepper Black Pearl.  I'm going to try to get them from both ripe and new fruits to see whether one source is better than the other.  (I hope at least one source will produce viable seeds.)  If I get good seed, I have no doubt I'll be swimming in Black Pearl plants next season.  I tend to overplant when I start seeds indoors.

All of the herbs are still alive and harvestable, but the Purple Ruffles basil is leggy now and falling over.  I regret not having cut it back earlier, but it was so pretty I couldn't bring myself to do it.

The peppers, which are also heat lovers, are still ripening.  The mini bells are in varying stages, but the chilis and jalapeños are pretty well done.

The cucumbers I planted in a tomato cage on the 27th of August have lots of flowers and are beginning to produce.

Salad greens I planted at the same time are looking nice now that the bugs have died off and quit feeding.

Lettuce, arugula and celery

Tatsoi

Both the limas and the Mexican sunflower plantings are looking end-of-season shabby.

The limas are still filling out, and if I had the inspiration and desire, I could probably prune up the sunflowers to look better.  Instead, I just picked the good ones for an arrangement.

Mexican sunflower, lavender, basil and Shazam! rose

I got my rose garden area finished up and covered, and the first rose bush (Pink Enchantment) planted.

I'll leave the cover on over winter so that I don't get a plot full of weeds, and I'll uncover each section as I plant it with rose bushes and herbs.

When I dead-headed the basil, I spread the spikes over the foot path that's between the rose garden and the vegetable garden.  I'm hoping that I'll have lots of basil plants growing up amongst whatever grass (and weeds) will grow there, so that when I mow it and walk it, I'll get that wonderful smell.

The Pink Enchantment rose I planted near the house is still blooming beautifully.  It's been an excellent disease-free tea rose.

Till next time, enjoy these gorgeous days.