Fall veggies

Carrots 52 days old. At 65 days I'm supposed to be able to start picking, we'll see. Swiss Chard and Leaf Lettuce at 50 days old. I've already been picking the Leaf lettuce and eating nice salads for lunch. I've gotta get a move on pickin the Swiss chard. First I have to figure out what I'm going to cook, using it.

The Peppers and Bush Beans are still hangin in there. I'm really going to miss the green beans when they die. They are probably my favorite veggie.
The days are getting chillier, fall is definetly in the air. The afternoons are still nice and warm though!

Fall leaf lettuce

I went out to the garden this morning and picked my very first leaf lettuce. I had a very good salad for dinner this evening. I wasn't sure if I would have any luck growing it, thinking maybe it's too hot here in the valley (zone 9). But I had very good luck! And no bugs ate it before I could eat some of it. The spinach I planted the same time didn't even come up. I think it was just too hot still for the spinach to survive.
Those green beans I planted months back are still producing. I just love them. Next year I plan on planting several long rows of them and trying some canning so I can have some during the winter months. Yum...

San Francisco Trip

There's not much happening in the garden, so I thought I would post some pictures of our trip to San Francisco over the week-end. These sail boats are docked next to "Pier 39" a.k.a. a really touristy place to go!! Lot's of eateries and shops. This coming Friday I'm going sailing with Family and Friends in the bay- I'm really looking forward to it and also seeing some really exciting "Air Shows" with planes doing acrobats. This week-end is "Fleet Week" in San Francisco so there will be big Ships in the bay and Airplanes up above putting on some really great shows. I will post pictures after I go...
I thought this would make a pretty photo of some of the flowers along the walk way of Pier 39.
I had to stop at this little fruit stand. I wonder if the fruit was grown in San Francisco or further south where the weather is not as windy. Anytime I've ever been to San Francisco it is always windy no matter what! They do have their occassional mild days though, and sometimes a freak day where it is actually HOT.

Washington Apples

This is a photo of a Washington Apple compared to the apples I get down at the local grocery store. My husband just got back from a business trip there and brought back a box of these beauties. It's circumference is 14" round! I could probably make a pie with 2 of them. Sorry to say I don't know the name of the apples...

The pumpkins are turning orange. The weather has been cooler too. It's feeling a little like Fall. The leaves are starting to come off the trees little by little. It's a great relief from the hot temps we had just a couple weeks ago.
My little Swiss Chard seedlings are getting along o-k. I'm already collecting recipes for them when they get mature enough to pick. I love fall/winter veggies. They are so packed full of the antioxidents we need to ward off flu bugs and such. Most of all I love the soups and stews we get to make when the weather gets cold. Yum..
Carrot seedlings. I had to build a sun shade for the top of my carrot bed so the hot sun wouldn't burn them. I think it's working pretty good, there's no sign of heat stress. I planted spinach on sept. 2 and I didn't have hardly any come up. There was 2 or 3 and they aren't doing too good. Anyway, I planted some more seeds just yesturday. We'll see if I have any luck. I had such pretty spinach this last spring, I may only be able to grow it in the springtime...I'm going to experiment some more.