Short Days At The Beach Farm

I call this the weed gauntlet -mostly mugwort.

This is the predmoninant autumn weed at the beach farm -a weeded plot. This specimen is in my neighbor's allotment and fairly tall. It is Hairy Galinsoga, or Quickweed, Galinsoga ciliata. Quick because of how fast it grows? It's one I pull and pull again. And I hear it is edible.

Some plots are just full of weeds, even nice ones like this huge aster.

The basil and chard are having a good autumn.

Although something's been chomping the chard. Mind you, this is the same chard that I field-planted from seed in March.

The broccoli is heading up, but leaves me to worry that the heads will be small. Do you see the cabbage worm on the leaf? Damn, I didn't notice it until posting this.

The carrots were a mild success this year, with many left to harvest. All were stout, but some short and some long. I think this has to do with the relative softness or friability of the soil. Next year I will make sure there is no hard soil in the carrot bed.

The eggplants will produce until the frosty nights.

And so will the hot peppers. They are so easy. One volunteered in our apartment yard two months ago and now is full of green peppers.

I've never had good luck with larger peppers, like these poblanos. Too small, sometimes sickly. I write off certain plants, then try them years later. Someday I will write off large peppers so that they work for me at a future date.

And maybe it is time to write off the remaining tomatoes. Late summer rains made the whole affair rather blighted. But on this morning, fifty birds were in the garden, some caught under the netting that I have been rather lax with since the cooler weather. They are still pecking tomatoes.

Some Bella Rosa that were about to be harvested.

And the peas that have sprouted despite those soggy rains of August-Sept. Behind them, cauliflower.

I must admit to being a bad fall beach farmer. My focus has been on my painting for three upcoming shows, the money job, and of course, the garlic to be planted between now and Thanksgiving. This seven day period promises to be the best of the year -sun, mild temperatures. I will be upstate, this weekend, preparing a small field for my garlic cloves. If all is well, I will begin planting too. And there is an adjacent woods that I may traipse into looking for mushrooms. Wish me luck.