Feed and Weed

Today was bee feeding day - sugar, sugar and more sugar.  Every hive's bucket was totally empty so hopefully the ladies keep working hard at turning this sugar syrup into winter honey stores.

It was also weeding day.  It is hard to believe that I am still weeding the main garden on October 1st.  At this time of year we are usually winding things down garden-wise, but in the absence of a hard frost the garden is still flourishing.  We have beautiful fall radishes, lettuce, arugula, brussels sprouts, eggplant, flat leaf parsley, chard, kale, carrots, beans, and a few last beets.

 We have a late planting of green beans only a week away from a major harvest.  We have new radishes just sprouted as well as late plantings of lettuce and arugula under the cold frames.  My marigolds are loaded with new buds.  I hope they get a chance to flower!

With Grandma Cora occupying Seamus, I was able to spend two hours this morning weeding the main garden - a chore unheard of at this time of year.   The soil was cold - I had to weed in rubber boots instead of in my usual bare feet - but with my broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage making a solid effort to produce a fall harvest, I wanted to give them half a chance to succeed.

As thrilled as I am with my garden, I must admit however, that bending over to do weeding is getting exceedingly difficult.  If I can just get my late harvest of green beans, carrots, lettuce, and broccoli - I might be willing to part with the large garden for the season and focus my attention solely on the box winter gardens.  Maybe....but cutting my own lettuce every day sure beats spending $4 on a box of spring mix at the grocery store.  Fresh garden veggies are just so convenient and economical at this time of year.  Besides, they taste so good.