Garden, Plant, Cook!

Monday, October 21, 2019

Around The Garden - October 20, 2019 - DARN! and Better Late Than Never?

Dear Folks,

I have a pot of stock makings simmering on the stove.  I collect scraps and vegetable parings in a container in the freezer and when it is full, I add some of my bay leaves, black peppercorns and thyme and let is simmer way for 2-3 hours to break everything down.  Then strain, jar up and either refrigerate or freeze.  I usually go through them so fast - freezing is not an option.

Banana fruit takes about 4 months flower-to-ripe-fruit.  I had been watching my plants all summer hoping they would fruit at a time when they would ripen before mid-November.  No such luck.

I was out in the garden and saw a flower on my banana plant which I am now calling the DARN Banana Flower, because it will mostly likely not survive the first good frost. Ugh.  I did have one a year or so ago, which got "some" damage then kind of went to sleep and re-started growing and fruiting in January/Feburary.  I was able to get enough fruit to make homemade banana pudding - yum!

We shall see.

Better Late Than Never?

On June 20, 2019 I sowed Listarda Eggplant seeds - as the earlier seedlings I had sown at the right time, died in the freeze this past winter.  I figured what the heck, so I sowed.  And the plant just did nothing much until about the beginning of September and started growing with gusto.  I noticed a flower a week or so ago and this morning I saw probable fruit.  I really enjoy eggplant roasted etc.

Hoping to get fruit before frost.

I have always enjoyed the white "Casper" or similar eggplant until I met the Listarda - a gorgeous looking purple striped variety when can get bigger than the Casper but is still not bitter.

I chose not to put up my green house last year - too much family needing me back and forth to worry about it.

This year I am probably going to put it up, maybe, depends on family needs :-)  At the very least I will overnight the trays in my laundry shed which contains the hotwater heater and I hope to have tomatoes, eggplant and more sweet peppers (have a couple of plants going on 5-6 years but I want MORE peppers! :-) - in the garden, on time and ready to frost protect.  Fingers crossed.

I hope you are enjoying the weather, garden and bounty.

REMINDER - you NEED to get your GARLIC planted no later than October 31st to ensure enough time in the cold soil.

Have a best day, and be kind to one another,


-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

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