October Full Circle

As tonight's temperatures dip into the thirties, the coldest since springtime, I remember the garden.  Today's weather was beautiful, cool and sunny, a perfect day for tearing down the garden and cleaning out the chicken coop.  The chicken's love going through the generous weed piles in search of insects and seeds.  In return, the garden loves the waste material from the coop.

Admittedly I have not done much in the way of tending to the garden since July.  Instead, over the past two months, the neighbors have religiously made it to the gym each morning in the dark when the place opens before the crack of dawn.  The five hours of much needed exercise each week has to come from somewhere.  I am at peace with the trade-off.  We do not rely solely on our garden for our sustenance.  The garden is a luxury.

If it seems that I have forgotten the garden, the garden has not forgotten me.  For today's weeding I was rewarded with a dozen beautiful squash, six pounds of potatoes, a large bowl of cherry tomatoes, a few Asian bitter melons, and several green peppers.  A small patch of baby bok choy, offspring of some early plants.  There are still more potatoes to harvest this fall, plus sweet potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes, and spicy chilli peppers.  And plenty of seeds from sun-dried green beans and okra.

Tomorrow I will finish cleaning up, taking whatever other fruits and lessons the garden gives.