Mayflower Harvest

Another cool morning greeted me as I strolled through the veggie bed.  Slowly I see the garden getting ready for a slumber.  The carrot tops are high and look ready.  I think I am going to over winter them again this year.  It worked really well.  You just leave them in the garden and can pull them up as you need.  The ground and the snow act like a root cellar.  It was very cool when I pulled carrots in April that were so sweet and made great carrot cake.

The tomatoes are still producing and I will be picking the peppers finally this weekend. 

The herbs are still going and will for a while.  The basil will die at first frost.  The chives will survive until the first freeze.  The woody stemmed herbs usually last until Thanksgiving.  I go out and pick sage, thyme and rosemary for the stuffing each Thanksgiving morning.  There is something so fitting about my thoughts of that ultimate harvest feast since on this day in 1620, the Pilgrims left England on the Mayflower to start out on their journey.  When I was in the garden looking at those herbs I was struck by the thought of the Pilgrims at this time of year, gathering up the ends of the harvest, drying the herbs, and preparing for the winter.  When I am in the garden these are the things that I reflect upon; the connection to nature and the connection to our proud American past.  And so, the garden reminds me of where I am came from and those brave men and women who endured 66 days at sea for freedom.  I give thanks and think of those who landed on Plymouth Rock and cultivated not only the soil but a great tradition of celebrating the gifts from the ground and the bounty of the harvest.

2 Green Zebra, 1 Roma and 27 Cherry