Putting the Garden to Bed in November

I have been neglecting my garden these past few weeks.  As the harvest dwindled, so did my interest.  I have been tending to the garden since March when I first planted my seed indoors.  By the time October and November come, I am tired and working outdoors is cold.  I missed the freeze warnings and thus, my basil is black and not made into pesto.  Such is the way of the gardener who pushes the season beyond the limits.

I did go out and pick from the garden once each of the past three weeks.  I brought in tomatoes and froze them in the first two weeks.  This week I went outside to see a garden massacre - all the tomato plants were black with a few green globes hanging on for dear life.  I grabbed up the unripe tomatoes and brought them inside.  I hope that I can get them to ripen inside and then freeze them for sauce later in the winter.

This is the pick from October 20 -

Bottleneck squash - good for birdhouses

 This is the pick from October 31 -

Cherry Tomatoes and Green Zebras

And this is the last vestige of the year, November 7-

Waiting to ripen

A mix of tomatoes, saved from the freeze

I am sad to see the garden finally resting, but I am glad for the end of the season of work.  I am also pleased to have the autumn and winter to enjoy the foods I have put away for this time of year.  Those August and September Sunday afternoons in front of the stove preserving my harvest and farm stand finds are now going to be enjoyed.  There is a cycle to it all and I am in the time of year where we get to cuddle up on the sofa with a warm blanket and plan for next year's garden!