September 1, 2026

How can this be possible??

Mornings are cool, foggy and very dew-wet, and morning forays to check on the gardens require rubber boots. On sunny days, it is noticeably later before the shadows of the trees along the eastern side of the clearing recede to allow sunlight to shine on the field garden, and it is dark by 9PM. The leaves on some trees appear to be a paler shade of green, and here and there are hints of colour other than green. 

There has been no shortage of rain for the last couple of weeks, some storms rolling up, blotting out the sunshine and making a surprise attack on otherwise sunny days. 

Blight is starting to show up on the tomato plants, but so far, surprisingly, no sign of powdery mildew elsewhere. The gardens are looking a bit tired, but are still producing so much food. The last patch of beans was ripped out yesterday, and buckwheat planted in it's place. The previously planted buckwheat in the garlic patch is going gangbusters.

Another bowl of green peppers to process, and lots more are sizing up, a bumper crop this summer.

The red guys are starting to turn...

Cherry tomatoes continue to provide lots of snacks,

and we have been enjoying a thick slice of juicy beefsteak tomato in our toasted tomato sandwiches for lunch, a treat we look forward to every summer.

The paste tomatoes are finally starting to colour up, and are picked as soon as the colour change becomes noticeable, then are boxed to continue ripening in the back porch, away from critter paws and teeth! 

The last two jars of last summer's harvest came in from storage, and soon there will be enough to start processing this year's.

The pumpkins hanging on the fence are starting to colour.

It has been hard to count them amongst the greenery, but now that they are colouring, it looks like there are 9.

Apple season is pretty well upon us, as apples have begun falling from the apple tree beside the driveway. 

Apple sauce is on the immediate to-do list, as well as apple pie filling, and lots of frozen slices for winter treats. 

With all the moisture of late, the woods are full of mushrooms. A couple more distinctive shapes and colours caught my attention,

but alas, I missed the flush of Black Trumpets...finding only their shrivelled remains. Peak mushroom foraging time always coincides with peak garden produce processing time!