And so ends the garden...

For two days there had been a tiny bit of frost on the grass. And then the weather report predicted a hard freeze last night.  So somewhere between lunch with my brother and dinner with my grandparents, I raced home to pick anything salvageable out of the garden. I even took a picture to post here-- except that I left my laptop in a different state last weekend, along with the necessary downloading tools and cords. Oh well, the picture will have to wait. Close your eyes and imagine this:

-- Two large bowls of green tomatoes
-- Two large bowls of peppers (bell and jalapenos)
-- A big bunch of basil

There are still a few carrots to dig up, some broccoli that probably won’t make it to the edible stage, and I’m sure the volunteer tomatillo plant is now frozen and over. Too bad they never got big enough to eat. 

The end of the garden is always brings such a mix of relief and sadness. It's a relief because at the end there, it can be a little overwhelming. And the weeds can get to the daunting stage. And yet, being in the garden is one of my favorite things about spring, summer, and fall... so it's sad to finish it up for the year-- knowing that winter is what stands between the garden and I until spring. Sadness. Although, I must say, without winter, I really don't think I would appreciate the rest of the season nearly as much as I do. 

So farewell dear garden. I'll see you again in the spring (and maybe to do some plant clean up this fall... if I get that far).