The Leveling of the Garden

I hate to admit it, but summer is over.  Out with the old, in with the new.  The garden is becoming a lot less vertical.

Yesterday I harvested the Sweet Basil for the last time this year.  Everyone in the house enjoyed the aromatic scent while I processed it into pesto to be frozen for use this winter.  I will miss that heady smell of summer!  The plants are still growing in the garden and will be good until frost, so fresh cuttings of basil are still possible.

I spent some time cleaning up the garden today.  I removed the following plants:

• Thai Basil - lovely to look at this time of year with its long purple flower spikes, but very weedy once it goes to seed.
• Most of the pepper plants - leaving the cayenne peppers and the jalapenos until frost takes them out.
• Okra - the pods are no longer maturing.
• Rattlenake Pole Beans - I've been 'saving up' the beans this past week.  We have one more big pot of beans to look forward to.

I left the cherry tomatoes, even though I know the yield from here on out will be limited.  The fruit is still ripening, slowly but surely, but then falls easily off the plant.  I'm picking what's there every day to take advantage of the last few tasty snacking opportunities.