November Garden tour with update
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, we will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Learn more
A tour of the garden as winter sets in — a good surprise waiting after 3 weeks away, thanks to a friend keeping an eye on things and a temporary greenhouse that pulled its weight all season.
November garden and the beginning of the winter garden go hand in hand. Temperatures have already dropped below zero, and many of the perennials are settling in for their winter sleep.
After spending most of autumn abroad in a warmer climate, the garden did get a bit neglected. A friend came by now and then to harvest vegetables that would otherwise have gone to waste. There isn’t a huge amount to report, but here’s a summary of where things stand.
Table of Contents
Late October and Early November Harvest
During a little over 3 weeks away, the garden thrived on its own — the weather stayed reasonable, though the lack of rain showed clearly in the low water level of the little stream running through the plot. A good friend checked in on the garden and indoor plants about once a week, since most neighbors were also away for their own autumn break.
He managed to harvest some tomatoes, Mexican cucumbers, and anything else that would otherwise have rotted, along with the last of the zucchini and butternut squash, which went straight into the cellar for winter storage. Coming home to fresh produce from the garden meant fewer trips to the farmers market — always a welcome surprise.
Freezing the Early October Produce
Just before leaving, as many vegetables as possible got steamed and flash frozen — a whole process the night before the flight. Buying a big freezer over the summer turned out to be a good call, purely for this reason, and it’s helped the garden’s produce last quite a bit longer. Winter vegetables planted earlier, mentioned in an earlier fall garden update, are still being harvested regularly as a result.
What the Greenhouse and Winter Beds Are Producing
Supplies List
- Tomatoes, Mexican cucumbers
- Zucchini, butternut squash
- Bell peppers, chilies
- Spinach (winter)
- Winter cauliflower & cabbage
- Lambs lettuce
Instructions
The Greenhouse Paid Off:
Investing in even a small greenhouse, if there’s room for one, is well worth it — most of this season’s success comes down to it. Plenty of tomatoes, bell peppers, and chilies came out of it this year, and a permanent structure is the plan for next spring. This one had started falling apart by late autumn, to the point where it couldn’t be fully closed anymore — though that didn’t hurt the vegetables too much. Warmer days combined with shorter daylight hours meant the bell peppers in particular didn’t reach their full size, so a harvest of mini bell peppers was the result. The green chilies went straight into the freezer.
Winter Vegetables Coming Along:
Following through on plans mentioned in an earlier fall garden update, spinach seeds have sprouted and are growing well. Winter cauliflower and winter cabbage, both hardy enough to handle the season, will be ready to harvest in spring. Lambs lettuce, a tasty winter salad green, can be harvested right through winter instead.
Watch the Fall Garden Video
The beauty of this post is really better seen than read — a video capturing the beauty of fall in the garden and the surrounding Swiss countryside is up on the channel, linked at the top of this post.
A Few Lessons from This Season
Flash freeze before a trip: steaming and flash freezing vegetables the night before leaving helps make the most of a harvest that would otherwise go to waste.
Ask a neighbor or friend for help: a weekly check-in was enough to keep the garden productive during a 3-week absence.
Choose winter-hardy vegetables: winter cauliflower, cabbage, and lambs lettuce are all sturdy enough to handle the cold and extend the harvest well into winter.
The Beauty of Late Fall
This is one of the most visually beautiful seasons in the garden. As the perennials prepare for their winter sleep, the leaves turn such glorious colors — an enchanting kind of beauty that’s hard to escape anywhere in the northern hemisphere this time of year. Getting back just before all the leaves had fallen felt like good timing.
Watch the Video
Frequently Asked Questions
Your feedback is valuable
Thank you for taking the time to read this post.
