Plant the Fall Garden

No more hurricanes have attacked us after the two in October, although we have had more heavy rains than usual, or so I think.  I enjoy hearing rain drumming on the metal roof, but I envision the sea of red clay that rolls down our yard toward the garden, washing away the grass seeds I desperately try to establish in the yard both to stop the erosion and to feed the chickens.

I have managed to protect the final (third I think) planting of broccoli from marauding chickens, grasshoppers, and cats.  The cats have done their share of work killing grasshoppers, and I hope that the frost will soon come and take care of the rest of them.  I have had several stern conversations with the cats, Ashes and Phoenix, now five months old, about how just because I dig up the soil into a nice seedbed or make a hole in which I will put a plant, it doesn’t mean I prepared it for a cat bathroom spot.

The two-to three inches of rain that fell during the past 36 hours drenched the garden.  I took advantage of a break in the rain to take a few pictures.

I expect these collards to grow large enough for a meal by New Year’s Day, although I might have to cover them to protect them from cold and rain.

The cats also wanted the cold frame, close to the house near their actual litter boxwell as nicely protected from the wind and rain, to be a cat potty.

They ignored my entreaties to please, for the love of God, use the litter box or some of the many other acres of dirt on the place, and jumped into the cold frame as I tried to sow seeds.  I closed the lid enough to prohibit cat-entry but to allow the escape of hot air.  I look forward to a lovely, cat free, harvest of lettuce and spinach this winter.

When the soil dries, I will plant my garlic.  I put out the onion seedlings last week.