The eggplants have finally arrived.
September's fruits finally arrive.
The eggplants have finally arrived.
By Helen Yarmoska


This growing season was weird. We had a super cold, wet spring; temps in August so high plants stopped production; and nothing for eggplants until the end of September. Because I try to cram all the vegetable production I can into my little backyard garden space, I know that the eggplants would be crowded by peppers and spinach but I didn't anticipate such low production!
I clipped back the gorgeous purple eggplant flowers at the end of August hoping that would push out at least one fruit. And that's all I got -- one. And... it's only about 3" long. We aren't supposed to have frost for a while, so I'll let it grow; but my dreams of eggplant parmesan and lasagne are dashed.
As with any garden, there is always hope. My Brussels Sprouts are doing great. I have four plants that I nestled beside my zucchini. After frost and a freezer full of shredded logs, I pulled the plants. The sprouts took over. They like the cold and the space.
Every year, like fellow Greengirl Martha, I tell myself to write things down. What went well, what didn't and where things were located in my garden. I found an online service for garden journals. Maybe I should try that out.

How about you? Take a minute and send us your Highlight and/or Lowlight for this 2011. Maybe collectively we will create our own journal and be able to check back next year into the archives!
about the writer
Helen Yarmoska
Several home watch businesses joined together in the Minnesota Home Watch Collaborative to stay vigilant across the whole state.