Autumn is here & the garden is slowing down. This year I added lots of flowers to grow in place of many heirloom vegetables that I normally grow. The dahlias were front & center this year, along with French marigolds & zinnias. I did grow 3 varieties of tomatoes, a bunch of hot peppers, Mexican sour gherkins, greens & herbs - but only the tough survived. Here's a photo review of the garden goodies from my garden - I'm hoping the new addition to the family will be ready to get her hands dirty in the garden next spring!
Dahlias: Attracted butterflies, hummingbirds & bees
Queen Sophia Marigolds: Attracted pollinators & discouraged aphids
Hot Peppers: new to the group are the lemon drops, they will pack a punch in my chili powder
Tomatoes: Italian, Hawaiian Pineapple & Abraham Lincoln Heirloom varieties were delicious, but not enough for canning this year
Mexican Sour Gherkins: look like tiny watermelons, but taste like pickled cucs right off the vine. The little flowers attracted tons of pollinators as well as teeny parasitic wasps which took care of the tomato horn worms!
Herbs: Most of my herbs over-wintered and bounced back in early spring. Including: sage, oregano & rosemary
Next it's time to cleanup the remaining peppers, dry the fruits & plant some garlic. Hope you're enjoying the cooler autumn temps!