Indian Summer Garden Grows

Who would think that we would be harvesting berries in October!

This is our third day of 80+ degrees.

A real Indian Summer.

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The raspberries are large and lovely.

This is Autumn Bliss.

It puts out a few in the spring, and lots in the fall.

The Mara Des Bois Strawberries are still bearing.

This is an ever-bearing type.

These fall berries do not have the complex flavor of the summer berries,

but it's a welcome treat.

D is harvesting the mangels.

These will feed the chickens later in the fall/winter.

Mangels are a type of beet used for fodder.

Look at the size of these!

To the left of the picture (above) is dinosaur kale.
We found it to be attractive, but strong flavored.

The chickens will love them.
Update - Spring 2012
The chickens do not like the mangels - whole, raw, cooked, chopped.
They tossed it around and did not eat it.

The gardens are producing!

We tried a new kale this year. It's called Dinosaur Kale, and it is just lovely growing. It is a blue-gray color. In the morning, the dew beads on the plants and sparkles in the sunlight. The nutrition information indicates this a super food. Lots of vitamins, lowers cholesterol, etc.

Today, I picked some leaves - the big ones went to the chickens. The "small" ones went to be prepared for freezing for soups. I removed the ribs and sliced crosswise. Steamed it.

Well, it makes cabbage smell delicious.

I think I can use it in a strong soup like Italian sausage and bean soup. Otherwise, I have no idea what to do with it.

If you want to try some, let me know.

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The strawberries are yielding a generous portion a week

We have been able to keep the birds away by framing the beds and covering the frames with bird net.

We have protected some, but not all of the raspberries. The raspberries are here in the foreground, with strawberries in the background.

We get onion plants from Dixondale Farms each year. This year we had a wet spring, and the onions loved it. The copra onions are huge and are already done. The red onions are not ready yet.