The Grand Finale of Fall

     This fall has been rather warm for northern New Jersey. After a week of somewhat rainy weather, we walked up to the garden this past weekend and were greeted by an unusual surprise. The herb and vegetable plants are still producing! The plants are no longer lush and are much more brown than green, but there were still some buds, herbs and produce being yielded. It was a nice surprise to be blessed with fresh items so late in the growing season, and I wanted to share some pictures of this little autumn gift.

The yard is covered with newly fallen leaves, but the vegetable garden refuses to realize the season has changed...

The zucchini plant is pushing new growth through the fallen leaves...

The eggplant is trying to produce a new bud...

Despite the date on the calendar, the tomatoes are still producing and trying to ripen...

The herb garden is still yielding oregano, rosemary and parsley among the fallen leaves...

The beans are still going strong...

The pepper plants are still green and producing...

The cucumber vine itself looked brown and dead, but this gem could be found ripening among the leaves that had fallen from nearby trees...

 

 Perhaps the most surprising of all is the amount of jellybean tomatoes that seem to be ripening on otherwise dead plants. The skins are a little thicker than usual but they still have that great flavor Jersey tomatoes are known for...

     We've grown a garden for many years, but this is honestly the latest we've had such a lush yield in October. They're predicting a rather harsh winter ahead for this area, so maybe this is just a little added blessing before the next season hits us with it's weather. Whatever the reason, we are thankful for this little surprise bounty and will just keep making some fresh garden salads for as long as the plants continue to produce. 

     In addition to our vegetable and herb garden, our flowers seem to be confused as to what time of year it is. The hibiscus plant that is in a pot on our deck, and our rosebush in one of our flower gardens decided to surprise us with some late season blooms, even after our mums had begun to fade...

     We are thankful for these late season surprises, but we will also be sure to appreciate and enjoy the beauty of the colors that are more typical for this time of year....

     I've said before that while each season has something wonderful to offer, fall has always been my favorite. So on that note, I'd like to end  with a quote by Lauren DeStefano that just seems to perfectly sum up the photos in this post. It was provided on a banner by one of my favorite bloggers, Laura at The Ironstone Nest...