• Home
  • ABOUT
  • VIDEOS
  • Contact
  • SHOP

The Impatient Gardener

Edibles, Garden, Plants

The first frost, the last harvest and a big project nearly complete

October 15, 2018

Late season vegetable harvest

Well that was abrupt. Without a lot of lead-up, we had hard frost. And just like that, the growing part of the gardening season is over.

I didn’t take the threat of a freeze too seriously because we usually escape the first few frosts that affect even areas just an eighth of a mile away. The moderating effect of Lake Michigan does us favors fall, as the water temperature is warmer than the air temperature this time of year.

Fortunately I threw a sheet over the herb bed in the vegetable garden to help preserve the thyme, rosemary and parsley. But so much else is just done. 

Coleus with frost on it.

The coleus was beautiful dusted with frost, but it soon turned into wilted mush.

Frozen sunpatiens

The Sunpatiens were having none of that frost.

A frosted garden is the saddest  sight. Everything is limp and mushy.

I have to admit that I’m not completely upset about the timing of this frost. The last couple years we’ve had later frosts: November 19 in 2016 and I believe the very beginning of November last year, and that made it difficult to get everything  sorted while it was still warmish out. I’ll have an extra couple weeks this year, and we’ll definitely have some warm days ahead when it will be lovely to be in the garden.

Foxtail rosemary is a trailing variety that is as delicious as other rosemary but has a decorative touch,

I grew the traditional upright rosemary this year, but also this trailing foxtail rosemary. It did pretty well. I wish I would be hardy here; I could handle a rosemary bush.

Although there is now plenty to take care of in the garden, including pulling out all the annuals that bit the dust with the frost, I ignored it all this weekend. Instead, we concentrated on moving a whole bunch of decorative stone into the vegetable garden. 

This was an exciting project, because it’s the last big piece of the vegetable garden puzzle that we have to handle this year. The paver base (what we call limestone screenings here) went down a couple weeks ago and we covered that with decorative crushed stone. I have found that paver base does a better job than weed barrier or landscape fabric in keeping the weeds at bay longer. 

protecting kale from deer.

I took down the temporary string fence that was protecting the garden (and by the way, it worked) from the deer because the only thing I have to worry about them eating there now is kale and I was able to just throw some hardware cloth over it to shield it from nibbling.

I chose the same stone I have in the circle garden and the path to the garage, a color called Raven Black, but in a three-quarter-inch size rather than the three-eighths-inch size in those areas. I figured out what we needed by square footage, but stone is sold by the ton, so the quarry helped me figure out how much I needed. She said I would need 9.5 tons, but the truck only held 6 tons. I opted to just start with one truck and said I’d call when I was ready for more.

So here’s what I have to say about that: Lies. It’s all lies! We went through a little more than 5 tons and all I can say is thank goodness we didn’t get as much as the quarry suggested I get, because I can’t imagine where we would put the extra.

In between shoveling and spreading all that stone, I picked most of what was left in the garden and I have to say, I was quite pleased. Considering that the vegetable garden got a terribly late start, I’m quite happy with my haul.

Late season vegetable harvestThe tomatoes never really did get a chance to reach their potential and most of the peppers never turned color, but all will be eaten in their green forms. 

But I was most satisfied with my potatoes. I’ve only grown potatoes once before because I’ve not had the space to grow them properly. (The first attempt was in a so-called potato tower and it was a disaster.) I hastily threw in a few leftover seed potatoes my mom gave me and walked away. But I pulled several really nice sized Yukon golds out and many more purple-fleshed fingerlings (I have no idea what the name of them was).

Vegetables on antique scale

I may have actually squealed with delight as I pulled them out of the ground, and I definitely showed them off to at least two neighbors who drove by and slowed to say hello. 

Like elsewhere in the garden, the vegetable garden needs cleaning out (although the kale is still going strong and will taste even better with the cool temperatures). But it looks so much better with the stone down and I finally am so pleased with what I’m seeing there.

raised bed vegetable garden

The vegetable garden is looking so much better with the stone down.

I’ll be adding compost and possibly some topsoil to the skinny fruit beds on the sides this fall and the fence will go in probably sometime in November. In other words, what I thought would be finished in June only took an extra five months. 

Like my neighbor said: I said it would be finished in June, I just didn’t say what year.

raised bed vegetable garden

The stone is kept in place with steel edging. Outside the edging are skinny fruit beds for small berries and espalier trees.

fall frost vegetable garden vegetables veggie garden
by Erin @ The Impatient Gardener 
11 Comments

About Erin @ The Impatient Gardener

View all posts by Erin @ The Impatient Gardener

Related Posts

  • romaine seed tapePlanting now for a quick fall harvest
  • Bio dome planting systemHow to start a whole garden in one tray
  • fresh turmericThe beautiful oddball: Growing turmeric
  • Large Brandyfred tomato in handThe success or failure of this garden comes down to one tomato
previous post: The great houseplant migration
next post: The perfect way to store your tools (and an OK way that works too)

Comments

  1. Jean Schanen says: October 15, 2018 at 8:09 am

    That sure looks nice-I like the stone
    Your potatoes are impressive – certainly larger and more abundant that what I grew in bags.

    Reply
    • Erin @ The Impatient Gardener says: October 18, 2018 at 10:08 am

      I am definitely glad to have the space to finally be able to grow them in the ground!

      Reply
  2. SHEILA CULLEN says: October 15, 2018 at 8:17 am

    That looks terrific, Erin! I enjoy reading about your garden, even while trying to relate it all to a Zone 11! I am applying to join our island’s community garden this year. I’ll share a plot with some friends. We cannot use plants from the local Big Box store so would welcome information on any plant sites you night recommend.

    Reply
    • Erin @ The Impatient Gardener says: October 18, 2018 at 10:09 am

      Are you thinking of starting from plants or seeds? Any great independent garden centers there that can help you out?

      Reply
  3. Lisa at Greenbow says: October 16, 2018 at 10:27 am

    What a handsome haul for being planted up so late. Your vegetable garden will sing next year. I can’t wait to see the fence up. Your vision is almost complete. For a working lady you can be proud of how quickly you accomplished all this.

    Reply
    • Erin @ The Impatient Gardener says: October 18, 2018 at 10:10 am

      I can’t wait to see the fence up too! Of course then I’ll have to stain it next year. (We’re doing pressure treated and apparently that has to age a bit before you can stain it.) Thanks for the encouragement, Lisa!

      Reply
  4. Linda from EachLittle world says: October 17, 2018 at 3:33 pm

    Looks fabulous! That stone is perfect with the raised beds. Have brought in the watering cans and am cleaning out ceramic pots. Tools will be last. Still waiting for Indian Summer!

    Reply
    • Erin @ The Impatient Gardener says: October 18, 2018 at 10:10 am

      Yes, where IS Indian Summer? I’m still holding out hope.

      Reply
  5. Bob King says: December 27, 2018 at 1:16 pm

    That is a GREAT looking garden and fence. We’re following your garden details after we get our house built on our acreage.
    Thanks for the great post and pictures!!!

    Reply
  6. Kate says: November 9, 2021 at 6:55 pm

    Do you mind your stone and mulch/soil boarder get mixed?

    Reply
    • Erin @ The Impatient Gardener says: November 9, 2021 at 11:34 pm

      Not really. I have metal edging to separate the two.

      Reply

Leave Your Comments Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

About

The Impatient Gardener

Do you love gardening? Me too! I'm Erin and I garden in Southeastern Wisconsin, zone 5. The Impatient Gardener is all about real-life gardening: the good parts, the bad bits and even the funny stuff. It's part information, part inspiration and a little bit commiseration. Thanks for visiting.

Here's some more about me.

CONNECT

Awards

Garden Comm award

MY FAVORITE GEAR

https://www.amazon.com/shop/impatientgardener

Instagram

impatientgardener

Erin Schanen 🌿 The Impatient Gardener
Get your dahlia engines running. All the dahlia th Get your dahlia engines running. All the dahlia things are happening very soon. I actually started dividing my dahlias last weekend, about two weeks earlier than I usually do because the weather kept me cooped up inside. I’m glad I did it because I had some (not unexpected) losses that I’ll have to adjust some plans for. So stay tuned: we’ll be talking lots about dahlias soon. 😀
Want to give a gift to your future self? This fall Want to give a gift to your future self? This fall plant snowdrops and winter aconites and I guarantee you that it will bring you happiness the next spring. They are tiny blooms of joy.
A favorite groundcover and a favorite reseeder. Fi A favorite groundcover and a favorite reseeder. First off, you should know that I really love groundcovers. I would rather see a plant than bark mulch any time. Ajuga is a favorite because there are several forms (my favorites are ‘Black Scallop’, shown here, and ‘Chocolate Chip’) and because they can handle most conditions from sun to shade. Popping up next to it is Talinum paniculatum ‘Limon’ (Jewels of Opar). It reseeds around the garden and I just move it around where I want the chartreuse, succulent foliage. Tiny flowers in red and pink bobble on with stems, looking a bit like peppercorns. Then they drop their seed and come back the next year.
Make this the year that you grow a plant you know Make this the year that you grow a plant you know very little about. If you love your garden that’s all that matters. BUT I promise you’ll find even more joy it it when you broaden your horizons. I feel like I’m starting to see the same plants in gardens over and over again. By all means appreciate and love those plants, but also add something you have to learn about. There is great reward in getting to know new-to-you plants. 

Here are two good candidates you might consider: Athyrium niponicum (Japanese painted fern) ‘Crested Surf’ and Persicaria (or Bistorta, thanks to the taxonomists) amplexicaulis ‘Golden Arrow’.
Load More Follow on Instagram

SEARCH

Popular posts

  • HOW TO POT UP DAHLIAS FOR A JUMP ON SUMMER
  • No Mow May could backfire: Here’s why
  • Oh how I love a great garden path
  • A garden fence … finally!

Find us on Facebook

Archives

  • ABOUT
  • TALK TO ME
  • TERMS & DISCLAIMERS
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • Home

Copyright © 2023 · Prima Donna theme by Georgia Lou Studios

Copyright 2009-2021 ©The Impatient Gardener