Karen's Garden Delights Journal
3rd week of September 2011

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I am later than usual in getting cold frame crops in the ground and was so glad the greenhouse was finally planted this week. I had a few helpers while I was working at planting spinach seed plus bok choy, Winter Density lettuce, chard, kale and mache seedlings. The only problem was when the kittens started scratching up areas that were already planted... Since the plants are smaller I want to get the plastic put on the greenhouse a couple weeks earlier to see if we can push things along a little. I am very happy to see the carrot, turnip and beet beds looking lush and happy. With the assistance of my weekly garden helper, the beds are also staying beautifully weeded for the first time in years. Part of the reason I am slower getting things in the ground is because I'm spending so much time teaching others to do cold frames in their own backyard. This week I had a call from a 4th grade teacher who wants to do a small cold frame project with her class and I was thrilled to get her started with extra plants and seeds and she purchased two barrels to go in a school flowerbed. I love when there are opportunities to get youngsters involved in gardening!

It is a beautiful sight to see my cover crop of oats growing in the squash bed. I like to think of all the valuable organic material that is growing right in the place where it will be used. We were able to get several areas planted just before a rain and it is off to a good start. I am working at pulling out other plants that are finished, raking the area and tossing on more oat seed. We raced the darkness as we pulled out all the tomato plants and put more oats down. I like oats as a cover crop since it will grow well in the fall and then winter kill so that the ground is ready to be worked early in the spring. With winter rye, it continues growing in the spring and can be more difficult to kill, even after disking. I probably should be planting some clover or vetch in some areas to add nitrogen but I haven't made it to the feed store to purchase any.

We celebrated another birthday this week and here is the birthday boy with his special supper menu. He chose liver, sweet potato oven fries and Rattlesnake beans. For dessert we enjoyed an apple cake with homemade vanilla ice-cream. Birthdays are a special time for good food at our house and are celebrated with what is in season. Our next birthday boy in November is starting to plan his menu. With all the pumpkins and butternut squash that we are harvesting with groundhog chews on them, we'll be cooking up plenty of pumpkin right away since it won't store as well. Along with a pumpkin birthday cake, we could probably make a whole menu out of pumpkin dishes for him. But the choice will be his.