Photo by Jessica Walliser I’m keeping my kohlrabi in the garden as long as possible to avoid their time in the fridge. |
We finally got a few hard frosts last week. Funny how it always seems to happen just after my pineapple sage starts to flower. I don’t know why I plant it every year, because it blooms so late. I wish a breeder would come up with a variety that begins to bloom a month or so in advance. It’s such a great plant for the butterfly/hummingbird garden, but only if it manages to bloom while they’re still around. Maybe next year.
I have been continuing to dig carrots up every few days. They are now nice and sweet and have been terrific additions to salads. I hope to keep them coming until Thanksgiving. I have yet to pick the Brussel’s sprouts, though, as I’m trying to let them get really sweet. It seems to take several weeks of really cold nights for that to happen. The tiny heads on them aren’t as big as they’ve been in previous years, but I think there will be enough on my three plants for a few meals. Sometimes they are better when they’re smaller anyway.
And, believe it or not, I still have a small patch of potatoes to dig and kohlrabi to pick. I’m trying to extend things as long as possible without having to keep them in the pantry or fridge. So far so good. I also apparently managed to miss some onions when I pulled them up this summer. They have sent out new green shoots (which I’m using like scallions). I’ll probably end up pulling them for Thanksgiving dinner. I get a lot of joy out of telling our guests what parts of the meal came fresh from the garden. I’m hoping it will be the taters, carrots, onions, sweet marjoram, sage, parsley and butternut squash. Someday I’d like to raise our own turkey, too—but my husband and our chickens might take issue with that!
