Autumnal Equinox

It is the summer's great last heat.
It is the fall's first chill. 
They meet.  ~ Sarah Morgan Bryan Piatt

The official astronomical beginning of autumn is today. It's hard to ignore the signs in the garden. Plants are withering as sunlight decreases. Leaves are dropping. The okra is getting a little warty. We've had a taste of cooler days and nights... and I'm already anticipating the last taste of a fresh tomato.

We've had a very hot, dry stretch here. Hurricane Dorian brought only 1/2" rain to our neighborhood. Those drops fell on September 5... and no more since.

Despite the dry conditions, the garden has continued to provide us with plenty of okra, green beans, and cherry tomatoes. The success of this year's pepper crop has yet to reveal itself. I have already roasted an oven full of sweet peppers, ultimately transformed into a fantastic pasta sauce. There will be a few more sweet peppers and a pan or two of Anaheim peppers to roast. The poblanos are looking promising, with lots of maturing fruits and blooms. Bonus .... we have at least a half dozen butternut squash growing in the compost pile!

The intensity of the summer garden is over. Now, we look forward to the winter garden, where there are few weeds ... and fewer bugs!