Fertilizer Friday - We're almost through...

We're almost through here...the growing season is pretty much over. The sprinklers are off now...in fact, as I'm typing this on Thursday evening, we've enjoyed a day of rain in Eastern Washington with more rain predicted for the weekend.  Before I know it, it will be time to blow them out and just off  the water to the yard for the season.

I can't believe the first week of October is already finished.  The time seems to go so quickly.  February rolls in with its winter winds and I'm chomping at the bit to get my garden going, longing for the vibrant colors of spring and summer.  By the end of September, however, I'm tired.  I've fretted over those same vibrant flowers, worried about the health of my vegetables, and generally expended tons of mental and physical energy in caring for the outside of our home.  I secretly rejoice when the weather calls "game over".  Still, here we are in the first week of October and no hard freeze has hit.  I spent a number of hours in the yard Wednesday.  The lawn is loving the mild weather and so I'm still mowing.   I finally decided to rip out the tomato plants.  While I had roughly 100 tomatoes on the vine, the slugs were taking advantage of the weather and enjoying them at unprecedented rates.  Not only that, but we just weren't getting the weather they need to ripen.  (I did save 20+, but between black moldy looking stuff and slugs, the rest were goners.)    In the meantime, there are still interesting things to see in our yard.

The fairies seem to be moving in.  Doesn't this look like a fairy village?

These tiny little white flies come every year at this time.  They're all over the neighborhood.

Our pumpkin plant sent its vines up a tree and then crossed into another tree.  We have tiny little pumpkins in our trees!   I know they won't ripen for us this year...so sad, but I think it is so silly that they're in the tree.

Oh, and our zucchini continue to be confused...they're blooming again.

Sam is still enjoying the garden.  (Buttercup says that the plant Sam is eating is catnip, but I couldn't say...I just know it comes up everywhere!)

There you have it!  I think this is it for the Nagle5 garden this year.  We've got enough rain the forecast that I'm going to have to take advantage of the occasional sunny day to get the zucchini out of the ground...and the spring bulbs planted.  That's okay though...I'm ready to come inside for winter.

It is Fertilizer Friday (sans fertilizer!), so head over to Tootsie's to see what is going on in gardens that aren't winding down...lots of them aren't and it is wonderful to see those tropical flowers as we get ready for winter here.  (Tootsie herself is featuring some absolutely amazing photos of the Mosaiculture International Gardens in Montreal ...you'll be stunned, I promise.)