Monday, September 26, 2022

Fall Harvest Time!





Happy Fall! It is my favorite time of the year!  

It has been an excellent year for my little patio container garden and fall means it is time to harvest all that remains as our first frost will be soon on its way. I have gathered many juicy plum tomatoes and Hatch style and Calabrian style Red Chili Peppers throughout September. The photo above shows a small portion of them.






I started the vegetables as seeds in March in little flower pots that I placed by a sunny window.  Every seed was collected from vegetables that we had eaten that I dried and saved.  I had more plants than I had room to plant on my patio, so I also gave some to my son and some to neighbors.





I planted the tomatoes and peppers outside when the danger of frost was over--here in Colorado that was early June. At that time I also planted seeds for zucchini, basil, and dill in various outdoor containers and took out the perennial herbs that I overwinter in pots in my garage. The perennial herbs I grow are two types of thyme, rosemary, spearmint, oregano, sage, and lemon balm, as well as a fig tree. The perennials go dormant in fall/winter but "wake up" and grow again in summer. 

 I love watching everything grow!  





I also plant many flowers in my garden, and all are also from seeds that I saved in the fall.  As you can see from the photo collage above the local deer also admire all the annual flowers---smile.  My daughter and oldest granddaughter gave me the pretty plaque for my garden that is in the upper right corner of the photo collage above.





As you can see in the photos above, we often see deer right outside our windows!  I saw a doe with twin fawns come by from time to time and I believe they may have been the fawns that were born in my backyard in spring-- click here to see that post. They are getting big!






When my sunflowers began to wilt and dry up I cut off some of the heads and left them for the birds to eat. The squirrels and bunnies also had a very good time eating the seeds.





I also started the seed harvesting process all over again as well as drying or freezing herbs for use all winter, in the top, left photo, are marigold flowers that I deadheaded. I dry them and save them to plant next spring. Next to them are drying dill seeds. At the bottom left is basil that I wash, dry, and puree in my food processor and freeze in ice cube trays.  I use the cubes to flavor tomato sauce and sauces and soups all winter long. on the right is spearmint leaves which I dry and save for mint tea.




What have I been doing with all this summer produce?  Cooking!  In addition to the previous zucchini recipes, I posted--click here- I have also been making ricotta zucchini blossom fritters from a recipe that I found on this blog, and also making many zucchini walnut loaf cakes.





I enjoyed using ripe garden tomatoes all summer long in salads and soups and other recipes and I've made batches of tomato sauce to freeze.





I made stir fries, and taco casseroles, and other recipes that called for peppers with the Hatch style and Calabrian style peppers I grew, and also some were roasted, steamed, and then frozen for further use.




My Colorado Green Pork Chili recipe is so good and we look forward to having it every fall.





The deer rut is happening in our area and the bucks are all very actively searching for a female doe.  It is another sign of fall in Colorado!  As you can see in the photo above, we must drive carefully as they have "right of way" on our local roads.



Autumn colors are beginning to bloom all around Colorado!  I think it is the best time of the year--do you also love fall the best of all?




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29 comments:

The Joy of Home with Martha Ellen said...

Well done, Pat! - All the seeds you have saved and then grow them again. It's wonderful to see all the fruits of your labors. I am particularly impressed that you can harvest so much with all of those deer! They are beautiful and so close to your home. Autumn is really lovely there already. I'm looking forward to the same here as we are now experiencing cooler weather. Happy Fall!

Penny Carlson said...

Your garden did really well! Fall was my favorite time of the year when living in NC. Here in Florida, it is hurricane season, and we are hoping to dodge Ian!

Marilyn @ MountainTopSpice said...

My goodness, what a wonderful bounty from your garden Pat! I too love to gather as many vegetable and flower seeds each fall for next year's planting. Your chili peppers are amazing! I grew jalapeño and bell peppers and they have done wonderful this year. Zucchini is so prolific! I made zesty zucchini pickles with the zucchini and they turned out amazing. It is fall here too and we are starting to see lots of male turkeys and have a daily visit from a large buck. Tis the season, indeed! Happy Fall!

Fun60 said...

It's a good job you planted plenty of seeds as it seems the whole neighbourhood drop by to see what treats you have for them.

Barbara Rogers said...

Such great bounty from your garden! And it's so nice to see those deer at close range! Glad you can save seeds and then have similar plants year after year. I'm not doing much except potted flowers this year.

Bill said...

Your garden had a wonderful year and now you can enjoy your harvest. Well done!

Patti @ Pandoras Box said...

WOW - you certainly have a green thumb! The deer don't bother your plants in the spring? What a harvest, there is nothing like fresh tomato sauce!!

Carol @Comfort Spring Station said...

You got me at the beginning with those gorgeous little tomatoes and then followed lots of lovely garden items. Happy Fall!

stevebethere said...

Wow all that lovely fresh produce all home produce to I am impressed all that food looks delicious hope you saved me some heheh!

I enjoyed all the photos, have a peppertastic week 👍

William Kendall said...

The deer are quite at home.

Linda said...

Looks healthy! I love Spring more than fall.

Angie said...

Pat - love the peppers placed on the gingham - an eye-popping photo! You clearly have a green thumb and a very productive garden! I have also been collecting a lot of seeds - all flowers, in my case. I took down my deer defense system the other day because temps were going to drop below freezing, and it makes the sprinklers explode. Well, the deer figured it out pretty quickly, and they are making regular forays into the "forbidden garden". I chase them off when I see them, but they can't do much harm to the perennials at this point ... I used to help my Mom make tomato sauce and juice, and I remember turning the handle on her tomato press until I thought my little arm would fall off! Fall is my favorite season, but late Spring is a close contender! Thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday!

Veronica Lee said...

It's so delightful to see all the fruits of your labor.

You certainly have a super green thumb, Pat!

Happy Fall!🎃🍂🍁

Sharon Wagner said...

Yum! I froze tomatoes yesterday, and saved enough juice for minestrone soup today. Garden colors really are beautiful. Especially peppers. Mother nature is a true artist.

Joanne said...

It sounds like such a wonderful harvest! I struggle to get any plants to grow even when I don't start them from seed. The food all looks so yummy!

carol l mckenna said...

Gorgeous autumn phots ~ Wow! Favorite are the deer, of course, Xo


Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,

A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)

Jeanie said...

You got all that from a patio garden? I'm impressed -- it all looks delicious and I love the bounty of your harvest season. I didn't grow anything but herbs this year and have done a couple batches of pesto and will bring in much to dry pretty soon. But your larder must be quite full!

Lorrie said...

It's always amazing to me that within those tiny seeds lies so much potential and food value. Our garden is pretty much at its end, although I still have a few tomatoes on the vines. There is nothing like picking from the garden for luxury, as far as I'm concerned.
I'm always tempted by your beautiful cooking, Pat, and the photos you post on social media.

ellen b. said...

Wonderful harvest and you have been busy making the most of it. It must be very satisfying to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Great shots!

Spare Parts and Pics said...

Looks like a beautiful and productive garden. I love seeing deer right outside your window!

Jim said...

Stunning sky shot.

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

You have a green thumb!! Your work feeds not only your family and friends but our animal friends as well.

Yvonne said...

That buck at the window is something else. You are so active with the gardening, preserving and cooking. Remind me of when I was younger. Now I just want someone else to do it :) All your produce looks amazing. When I lived in Colorado Springs, I created a vegetable garden in the back yard that was full of brussel sprouts, swiss chard, broccoli, strawberries and cantelopes. I used the droppings from the rabbit hutch to fertilize the soil. It all grew so well there, except for the one time when hail wiped out everything except the strawberries. I do miss the groves of Aspen in fall. You are so fortunate to live in Denver.

Andree said...

I wish I had your knowledge. And your energy! I loved this post. Our white-tailed deer fawns have orderly rows of spots. Yours are out of control! LOL

Moois van mie said...

Harvesting your own grown vegetables is satiefying! I sometimes grow some in big bags and pots (I have a very small garden).

And I al akways jealous of people who live in places where you can see animals of that size in the wild! The biggest animal I may see here is a fox, and I never had the luck to see one!

Carol Benton said...

Your plants and veggies look healthy and delicious! The deer are fascinating to watch, and you got some great photos of them. But in my yard, they're a nuisance because they eat the flowers and shrubs. Fortunately, a fence keeps the deer out of our vegetable garden.
Thank you for participating in Talent-Sharing Tuesdays Link-Up 35.
Carol
www.scribblingboomer.com

Amy Johnson said...

What a great harvest! And all those deer, wow!

Photo Cache said...

I wasn't as successful with my garden this year as previous years. Must be the prevailing drought conditions here. Way too hot too.

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Rambling Woods said...

It must be so wonderful to have your own harvest…. Michelle