Every garden comes to an end...

and the last harvest is usually photogenic squash.

Nature photo of the day: October squash harvest.

what will I do
now that there is nothing left to harvest
as the garden slowly fades
into hibernation
but not without a final bite
of nasturtium leaves
and dandelion greens
green tomatoes 
and radish pods
with a side of pretty squash
and all the dry beans
one dares to eat
stashed away
for a colder day
the herbs are dry
the zucchini in jars
with garlic and dill
the onions long gone
what a season it was
all the memories stored
now we'll wait
and wait some more
for the soil needs rest
and time to contemplate
as we honor every bite
that our garden graciously shared
with us 
and the slugs
and every(one)thing else that passed through 
her non-existent fence

- Cheryl M.

I haven’t always been a gardener, though I suppose some aspect of me always knew that growing my own food was the right thing to do.

And since I discovered it more than twenty years ago, I’ve never looked back and wondered why I should keep gardening, despite all the challenges, the crop failures, the seed failures, the cross-pollination surprises, the insects, the slugs (they have become a category all their own) and the time it takes to grow a decent looking vegetable.

It wasn’t easy when we tilled the soil, and I’m not proclaiming it to be easier with no-dig gardening either, but not digging has certainly helped me to become a more appreciative gardener. And for the most part, given that the weather cooperates, the harvests are more bountiful too.