We were slated to get a hard frost this week, so we picked all the rest of the peppers and eggplants.
Looks decent, right? Well how about I put a raspberry in there for scale?
Oh.
Never mind that, this weekend we stripped the kale:
And the chard:
And the pak choi:
And the watermelon radishes:
And the "personal-sized" Chinese cabbage, the second crop of which got too late start this year to get big:
Probably the most fun were the leeks. We've been sampling them as the year progressed, and Saturday my MIL took 16 of them, giving me the opportunity to say "she took a leek in my garden!" [Apologies to those not enamored with boy-humor.]
The remainder are presented here:
At the supermarket I saw leeks (from The Netherlands) for $1.99 apiece. These aren't as big, but certainly fresher! As I've said before, gardening for most of us does not really "save" money, but you have to think there's a large amount of value sometimes. Trimmed, they weighed 7.5 lbs.
So that pretty much puts paid to this season. It's had its ups and downs, of course, but overall it was pretty good!
Here's one of my "farmstand" pictures, showing the final harvest:
Uh oh, the freezers are already full to bursting. What will we do if I get a deer this season? I've already been out a couple of times.
I want to thank all the readers who have viewed and commented on my posts. Harvest Monday really is a community! Thanks especially to Dave at Our Happy Acres for keeping this tradition thriving.
Have I told you lately how funny you are? The raspberry pic once again made me laugh. Amazing how one little thing, literally :), can totally change your perspective.
ReplyDeleteWow - 7.5 lbs of leeks is awesome! I still have to harvest mine - they are tucked away in an onion bed that I harvested months ago and I actually forgot all about them until last week.
When it comes to growing our own, I think the value is not so much about the $ (nowadays, anyhow), but more about the satisfaction and knowing what has gone into our food (or, even more importantly, NOT gone into it!). That being said, seeing the big bucks that some of our goodies command at the grocery store is sure to put a knowing smile on most any veg gardeners face.
Thanks so much, Margaret. I agree with you about the value not being expressed in money, but in satisfaction. It's just that I chuckle sometimes about the money and effort that goes into home gardening. I know it's "worth it," even if only sometimes you get ahead of the game.
DeleteI so agree with Margaret, it's not about the $$. Think of the environmental cost of those leeks that got here on some carbon spewing jet compared to the minimal impact your homegrown leeks had on the environment. And your homegrown leeks will no doubt taste better too.
ReplyDeleteLove that market stand photo. I know how satisfying it is to have produced that yourself. I'm going to miss your harvest posts. Like Margaret again, I alway enjoy your sense of humor.
Thanks Michelle. Yes, the environmental cost is buried, but one day it will be revealed I believe. I'm flattered you enjoy my posts.
DeleteWell, you had this overgrown man-boy laughing! 7.5 lbs of leeks is no laughing matter though - that is a nice haul. And you know, mini veggies are all the rage so those Chinese cabbages are truly 'in'!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Dave. If mini cabbages are "in," then my micro-mini peppers should fetch top dollar!
DeleteI love the farmstand photo and the "took a leek in my garden" comment ;) That is an impressive amount of leeks, I've only grown a few and not very successfully. That is also a lot of greens you have there. You better aim for a very small deer or get another freezer or stuff yourself with frozen produce before a deer arrives!
ReplyDeleteGrowing veggies might not exactly save me money but it is at least the one hobby I really enjoy that I get at least some sort of payback (sports equipment is crazy expensive these days!).
ReplyDelete