Autumn Days

Hello again.  This is the time the summer's harvest is picked and carefully stored by home gardeners.  Our garden is always productive in one way or another and because I was minding our neighbour's garden while they travelled in the British Isles, I was lucky enough to be picking from two country gardens in September.  Ripe tomatoes, lettuce and green beans abounded just a mile or more down our road.  In contrast our tomatoes were still green here but have been picked and are safely stored in the cool room, to be eaten after they have ripened in the dark.

By far, our biggest success this year was the squash we grew; summer, spaghetti, hubbard and zucchini of course.  We didn't leave for summer visits to friends without one or two zucchini to tuck under their arms and once we took a boxful to be placed by the door for the other barbecue guests to take home with them.  Our local library had a table filled with zucchini for library patrons and even the grocery store had carts full with the sign " Free - help yourself" written above the giant zucchini.   Cucumbers, raspberries and carrots came home with us when we visited friends.
This summer's vegetable exchanges reminded me of our summers in BC's Okanagan Valley.  When our children visited friends they almost always returned home with a box of peaches or plums just as I was finished canning our peaches.  The summer our daughter was born, neighbours helped pick cherries, grapes and apples and our next door neighbour even made pickles and bottled grape juice for us while I was busy with the children.

We worked with neighbours to get the cherries picked and sent to market and celebrated holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter together. Do you find that gardening brings you closer to your neighbours ?  Isn't it a great experience?  We are lucky here on the farm to be able to experience gardening together with our family and neighbours.  Thanksgiving dinner is always such a great day - hope you enjoy the tasty turkey and traditions whether you celebrate it this month or next.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!