Come and Get It – The Raccoons Did!

For the past few weeks we have been feeling like our garden is a smorgasboard for the raccoons! Every morning when we get up, there are numerous areas in the yard that have been poked through, dug up and disturbed. The seedlings that have accidentally been left in their watering tubs have been thoroughly destroyed by curious (and hungry!) animals.

Seedlings in watering tub

We haven’t caught them in the act, per se, but we have heard many squealing noises during the night. Only a few nights ago, Ofer saw some adolescent raccoons roughhousing in the dirt! So, on a daily basis we have been rescueing our neatly planted beds so that we have some tasty produce in a few months. Most of it is safe and growing happily!

Some of the beds we surrounded with old fencing to protect them and they are growing well, but it is hard to get in there to weed. Oh, well! The good news is that the season is full of crisp mornings and beautiful days. Our baby seedlings are growing strong and starting to look like they’ll make it.

volunteer zucchini

We’ve even gotten some volunteers popping up and the volunteer zucchini from the summer is still going strong.

Red Mustard
Young Calabrese Broccoli

 

The Red Mustard is a volunteer that we get each year and is a most beautiful and tasty plant. The Red Mustard has a little bit of spice in its flavor and  is enjoyable in soups, stews and vegetable broths.

Fall fruits have their own personality and I find that as the weather turns I begin to crave them. Persimmons, pears and apples, fresh from the garden, cut into a fruit salad and topped with cottage cheese or yogurt makes for a healthy, yummy breakfast in the fall!

Fuyu Persimmons

The colors in the garden are definitely shifting and the glorious fall colors are showing themselves. Yes, even in sunny California the colors are beautiful in the fall! You can plant your garden to reflect this quite easily. The crape myrtle trees seen here alongside a pyracantha bush

Pyracantha

provides a lovely fall backdrop. Pineapple sage is a lovely way to add red in the fall garden and keep feeding those hummingbirds!

Pineapple Sage

We decided to let the basil flower this year in the hopes of collecting seeds for next spring. It is quite beautiful when blooming so it is a welcome addition to the fall garden.

flowering basil

We  are now offering “Come and Get It!” a weekly bulletin that will announce the produce and food-related items available for purchase. The bulletin will include valuable information about the crops currently ready from the garden and recipes for you to enjoy. We will happily include recipes that you would like to share with others. If you live in the Pleasant Hill, CA area and would like to enjoy our garden-fresh foods, you can sign up through the link on the sidebar to the right.

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