Urgent! Cover everything...

Yes, this is a bit early for a frost and a freeze, but Minnesotans cover anything you want to survive tonight and tomorrow night as well. Use cloth (such as blankets and sheets) and not plastic. Since it is windy today, it'd be best to weigh them down. Good luck!

Zucchinni

Zucchini is a thing of beauty. Yes, it is. Here's proof. And it tastes delicious. I have had grilled baby zukes with a little bit of butter. Today I added some diced pieces to spaghetti for lunch. I will freeze some, too. Hint: Pick them small!

What the frass?

Yes, frass. Otherwise known as insect poop. In this case caterpillar poop. Each day about six cabbage moths hang out on my broccoli, and I pick about 14 caterpillars off the leaves. Just as I was about to do something drastic, I observed a wasp on the underside of the leaves. Two frogs are hanging out. When I dropped a small caterpillar to the ground, a group of ants made short work of it. And we've got spiders, too. I've got my own little ecosystem in a veggie patch. I am happy that the insect predators are happy to live there.

Hopi Red Dye Amaranth

This Amaranth is planted near the mailbox and is very difficult to photograph. It's tough to capture the interesting flower stalks and the pop of the red against the backdrop of green. I took several photos, but none seem to do it justice. I am hoping to collect the seeds and re-plant again.

Bright Lights Swiss Chard

Just last night I made stuffed shells with Swiss chard. I feel like it's a healtheir meal with some extra vegetables throw in. And it looks beautiful, too. I added extra basil as well. (Of course! I love basil.) Bright Lights looks beautiful in the early morning light in this photo. Tasty. Healthy. Beautiful. Isn't this why we garden?

Loving Cherry Tomatoes

I planted my tomatoes and peppers late this year due to a vacation. But my cherry tomatoes are ripening. I love how quickly they grow! They are prolific, too.

When to harvest garlic

When should a person harvst garlic? The leaves will brown and wither. Here's a photo as an example. Once the soil dries a bit (we had rain last night), I will gently dig up the garlic bulbs.