Finally, the first touch of fall is in the air. Although it's still hot during the day, it's getting into the low 60s at night. Whew...what a relief! I moved most of my fall starter plants from the Styrofoam cups, which were sitting on top of the barbeque, into the garden. This past week, I planted cabbage, spinach, onions and Brussels sprouts.
Cabbage
Brussels Sprouts
Meanwhile, the cherry tomatoes are going wild. There are hundreds of them. And, the good news is the worms and grasshoppers seem to be gone. The tomatoes are even popping through the back of the trellis.
Although I hate to talk about my failures, I must confess, the pumpkins were a complete bust. There were a couple of pumpkins that had started to form, but I found them a few days later several feet from the vine. I had planted the pumpkins outside the garden, so they were unprotected. I don't know if my dogs got into them or some other critters. It's also possible that the soil wasn't very good. While the soil inside the garden beds is rich and wonderful, I'm not so sure about the soil around the garden. Anyway, I'll probably stick to planting inside the fenced garden beds from this point on. Everything I've planted around the structure (a variety of flowers and pumpkins) has failed.
While I'm at it, I'll confess that I've never before successfully grown cauliflower or Brussels sprouts. So far, they both look very healthy and are growing well. Hopefully, this year will be different than prior years. I'd hate to blog about another failure!
On a brighter note, I did cook some great dishes this past week. I made Crispy Rosemary Chicken and Fries (http://www.allrecipes.com; Penne With Eggplant and Mozzarella (www.cdkitchen.com) and Balsamic Roasted Vegetables (www.epicurious.com). I also sautéed some crookneck squash. I just cooked it in a little bit of butter with a dash of salt and pepper. It was simple and delicious!