Harvest

This garden summer we have had a cool july followed by a hot august, now it’s cool again and seems like harvest time has come early – all of a sudden. It’s quite normal of course, but always comes as a surprise. This year we have had more time, so why not harvest early (in time) instead of waiting for the rainy snowy fall weather. The potatoes were big, so they are all in the root cellar a few weeks earlier than usual. Most of the onions too.

The pumpkins were getting ripe fast, so we picked them imediately in order to keep the rodents from eating too many.

The carrots too, in order to keep the carrot fly worms from getting established, and so that we can make a batch of lactic acid pickled carrot tomorrow when it rains.

It feels good to have so much fall work done already. We can even get started on the winter digging.

Deep digging

As if I didn’t have enough digging to do, I dig a pool by hand, or should I say by foot.

I started this project about 10 years ago, but since we have gotten an unlimited supply of farm water we don’t really need it for that, so it’s been at a stand still for a few years. Now with plenty of time on hand, I am back into it again. More as a landscape feature (garden art) now.

The spiral down-ramp is taking form, but there is quite a bit more to do.

The dirt mound grows.

When the digging is done, the mound will be shaped and planted with grass.

Finally

The last crop circle got turned over yesterday.

It’s been a warm, rainy, mucky fall but I got it done. Now I can rest and prepare for spring and take care of winter business like koji and miso.

Water

The snow has melted and it’s rained a little, so now there is water everywhere, especially around the edges and low spots.

Too muddy to dig, I’ll have to wait until the next cold spell to hopefuly finish.

Snow digging

These last few days have been good for digging – snow and a cold crust on the muddy clay. It’s supposed to get warm and mucky again, so dig while the frost sprinkles!

The deer have been digging too.

They have gotten through or over the fencing some how, and have found the remaining beets, chard and cabbage. That’s OK – they’re too small and skrawny to worry anout.

Snow

We woke up to our first big snow this winter.

I love snow, and after a couple weeks of grey, rainy weather, it was extra welcome, along with the cold sunshine that came after.

I love dirt too, so after the period of rainy muck, I can now get back into digging again.

Winterizing

Winter is coming fast this year. We’ve had a lot of frost already, the winter tires are on and there have been a few snow flakes in the air. The fall chores are coming along early too. 2 crop circles are already cleaned, dug over and have a sparce covering of new raked leaves.

And the zen dirt garden has been tilled.

Diggin it

Ya, I’m getting into it. Doing the fall digging for next spring is one of my favorite garden chores

A little bit of yesterddys mowed grass doesn’t hurt.

A lot people prioritise things like bigger, faster, mostest and firstest or more money and less work. Not me, quite the opposite – fun, rest, beauty, artistry and recreation (work) are top priority. I get a lot more profit that way.

Not to speak of the health benefits of dirt, and of course the wonderful smell of fresh turned dirt.

DIRT

Clean out

The pumpkin patch is cleaned out and ready for the big fall dig.

Except for the bed of garlic just planted. And most of the sunflowers will stay standing for the birds.

Fall dig

It’s time to get all the rest of the potatoes dug up and into the root cellar.

It’s also a good time to start digging for winter and next spring.