I can’t believe we’re just two weeks shy of autumn! That’s wild, where did the summer go? I swear it was just last week I was complaining about the heat. But it rained here all weekend, and yesterday I actually wore *jeans*, and this morning my breakfast was *oatmeal*. Oh yeah, fall is on the way.

So I’ve been spending some quality time in the yard this week, and thought I’d share the latest progress and produce. First exciting things first, my sunflowers finally bloomed! These are my first successful sunflowers, started from tiny seeds, and now the tallest one towers a good foot above my head – that’s over 7 feet high!







The plums are coming fast these days, faster than I can pick and prune them. There’s evidence of my failure all around.







But that’s okay, they make great snacks for hungry foragers, all soft and split and filled with yummy bugs. Mmmm! The chickens love the yard these days, though I don’t love constantly chasing them out of my garden plots. Such stubborn little birdies! Here’s a few shots of a recent sunny dust bath under the plum tree:







Those incorrigible hens just couldn’t get enough of my root-veggie bed, for some strange reason. Every time I turned my back they’d be in there, scratching away. As a result they killed or stunted every single walla walla I planted . . . all except for one. My one small survivor onion, which we finally unearthed and enjoyed in tonight’s green curry.





The other raised bed is doing great, with cucumbers slowly coming along, and tomatoes off the charts. My cucumbers could be happier, but at least they’ve stopped turning bright yellow on me (nutrient deficiency). Tonight I made my first ever jar of pickles, and if it turns out you can definitely expect a recipe.





The tomatoes are also going off, dropping fruit almost faster than we can eat it. Almost! Pictured on the vine are the cherries and green zebras (they’re ripe in that picture), but we’ve also got goldens and standard red slicers (pictured as harvest). The slicers make the *best* Tofurkey sandwiches!











And finally, my brand new fall garden is starting to unfold. I’ve been weeding and fertilizing and thinning out seedlings (oh woe!), and it looks like I’ll have some pretty nice options come autumn. You can see the broad-leafed brassica sprouts (cauliflower I think), the bright green lettuce line, and the tight row of forest-colored kale babies.











And that, my dear, is that. So tell me – how is your summer crop shaping up? Was it a good year for you in the garden?

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