It was early last week, when I collected beans that had grown too plump to eat, the pods turned dry and crackly. Slipping them open to reveal seeds, tiny gifts to save and grow again next spring. Like good sourdough bread starter, when you save seeds you can easily grow enough to also give away to other gardeners.
Besides collecting seeds, my kitchen windows are steamed up by canning jars filled with Green Tomato Piccalilli and Ginger Peach Chutney. The last of the tomatoes are being chopped into Fresh Tomato Salsa and soon it will be cool enough to turn on the oven to bake a Pumpkin Cheesecake.
As the garden comes to a close, it's a good time to reflect on the success and failures, make notes and possibly plan out a new garden design. I'll be starting a new series of kitchen garden workshops from my Vermont home and garden for you to join me at the drawing table.
You'll get lots of ideas, individualized attention to help you work on your own design and hands-on time in the garden learning about seed saving, soil health and other seasonal and timely instruction to help you become a better gardener. If this sounds like something you'd like to try, contact me and I'll send along details.
As Always,
Ellen Ecker Ogden
www.ellenogden.com
Author of The Complete Kitchen Garden and Garden Speaker
Check out my new lectures for the 2020 Season with my upcoming book.