We returned from Europe last week to find our garden still growing. I picked a bowl full of tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, salad greens and herbs. Of course, the plants were nearly exhausted, so, what you see (left) is about what we got. The tomato plants, haggard and brown, will produce no more fruit. A few peppers are still ripening on the vines, and the eggplants even have new flowers. But as always this time of year, greenery is more of a tease. Despite the warm weather, I know the winter will come and nip any new growth in the bud. It's at this time that we take stock of what worked and what didn't. I regret planting the Little Finger eggplants. The Japanese eggplants of past seasons were much better tasting. All of our tomato plants rocked this summer, and seven was a perfect number. Though they took up a lot of room, they provided a bountiful harvest that enabled us to share our crop with friends and neighbors. The early red bell peppers were a nice addition and I was very pleased with the cukes and kirbies, though they did punk out on me after the July heat wave. We're already talking about what we'll plant next summer. As the cold weather comes, it will give us something to look forward too.
