Well, it was hard to capture in a photo, but that's snow whipping through the air. In Alberta, everyone knows you have to have your frost blankets ready by the first week of September, but I am resistant to giving up my US Mid-Atlantic mentalities. September is still summer!!! I was not prepared.
The tomatoes were pregnant with still-green bounty, the immature squash hung dark green and barely the size of baseballs, the petite pumpkins were flirting with the idea of an orange hue, the budding sunflowers were still prepping to erupt yellow faces towards the sun. So some snow showers turned into a below-freezing night, and all were laid low by frost.It was a sad trip through the alleyway the next day. Tomato leaves wept down stems in dark, mushy teardrops. Half-grown pumpkins lay scattered like orphans among desiccated, lifeless vines. Deep emerald zucchini skins peeked and glistened from beneath a blanket of brown, withered leaves. The sunflowers, stalks standing tall in hopeless defiance, held aloft tops beheaded by cold they could not withstand.
Much was accomplished this season in the alleyway. I'm sad I was not prepared enough so the garden could take full advantage of this drawn out end-of-summer. But I suppose that's one of the greatest benefits of being a gardener. Every poor germination, every slug-riddled crop, every early frost, and the gardener begins chanting in his ever-optimistic mind, "Next year, next year, next year."
And so, some before and afters for this season:
 |
| The alley when this project began. |
 |
| In raspberry season |
 |
| In late-summer bloom |
 |
| Summer's end |
. . . And next year will be even better!
