It Always Looks So Desolate! (End of October Update)

Although it's a gorgeous 60+ degree day for November 3rd, many of my plants met their demise thanks to the hard frost we had Sunday morning. It was time to pull up all but the last tomato plant and the rest of the marigolds, nasturtiums and impatiens. They fought valiantly, but mid-20s was just too much for them to handle.

As I pack up the patio garden each year, I'm always struck just how desolate it all feels. I'm thankful to have the mini-greenhouse now so that my spinach, collards, chard and green onions have a chance to linger a little longer. But other than green...the color is gone for the year.

I looked back in my journal and the first planting I documented outside this year was on March 31st. Seven months of continuous (and counting!) outdoor planting is pretty awesome for our Ohio River Valley climate.

With the start of my indoor experimentation last winter, I have been continuously growing food since April 2013. It's not enough to notice a huge dent in our grocery budget, but it's enough to have fresh options every day if we want them. It may be aloe vera juice, wheat grass, rosemary, basil, cilantro or alfalfa sprouts...but it's still fresh.

With my continued attempt at hydroponics, after less than two weeks, I actually have some semblance of kale, collards, Belgian endive, salad greens, and chard. I'll try to keep you posted on this part of the adventure. I'll concede intimidation, but I'm getting braver every day. 

The wormery continues to produce amazing organic compost. I can totally hook you up with some worms (pun intended!) if you're ready to start an indoor bin. 

The lemon and lime trees all look great. I have five of them at various stages in growth. I will probably start more this winter and hope to have a few of these older ones ready to sell by spring or summer 2015.

For the first time I had the courage to bring a tomato plant inside to see how long I could let it grow. Today, Leah and I enjoyed our first indoor vine-ripened tomato and the picture shows the second that will probably be ready in a day or two. I still haven't been able to successfully pollinate the blooms, but there are blooms. I just need to do a little more research on how to prompt the fruit to grow.

That's it for now. My passionate desire is to see blooms, buds, fruit and harvest year round. With the help of grow lights and the new deep culture hydroponics system, it may actually now be possible.