Usually by this time of year, I am ready for the end of market season, ready to put the garden to bed for winter and take a long rest myself. But autumn has taken me by surprise this time around the sun, and I find myself in denial that summer is over, even as the temperatures plummet and plants grow old and brown and the threat of frost looms nearer with every sunset.

I went outside after lunch (I’ve swapped mornings for afternoons, now that it’s suddenly cold) to pick cucamelons for the last time this season, bundled against the chill breeze and surprised to find the vines looking tired. They took a while to hit their peak this summer, but they’ve hung on until the very end.

Speaking of the end, this Saturday is the last regular market day of the Broadway Community Market. That means this is your last chance for summer vegetables like cucamelons! I will also be set up on Thursday, October 24, for the special Halloweenfest popup market, but the first frost will certainly have blanketed the garden well before then. In addition to cucamelons, this Saturday you can also find chard (assuming no frost tonight), carrots, jalapenos, onions, garlic, garlic salt, and crocheted items.

I’ve begun digging sweet potatoes this week, one of my favorite fall activities, but you won’t see them on my table Saturday. Sweet potatoes straight out of the ground actually aren’t very sweet; they have to go through a curing process first! This means I lay them out in a warm, humid place for a week or two until the skins toughen up and the flesh becomes flavorful and sweet. If you want some, I plan to bring sweet potatoes to the popup market on the 24th.

See you at the market!

Despite a long summer of praying for rain, I am thrilled to see the sun today. I spent all morning in the soggy garden and headed straight back out after lunch to mow the overgrown backyard. It felt good to get so much work done outside after such a long stretch of damp, dreary weather.

As you may have already seen, the cucamelons happily soaked up all that moisture. Not only did I pick a ton yesterday, but they are huge! Don’t worry, though; they taste just as delicious as always and aren’t at all tough or bitter.

The chard also continues to grow beautifully, and tomorrow I might dig some more carrots, which should be big and sweet after so much rain. Though the tomatoes look just about done, I might have a few of those for you as well on Saturday, and possibly even some peppers! I also still have plenty of onions and garlic as well.

We have just two Saturday markets left this year (Can you believe it?), so make sure to come out before the season ends! This Saturday, the market is also serving as a drop-off point for personal hygiene items and other supplies for hurricane relief in southwestern Virginia (see image below for details).

See you at the market!

The cucamelons were buzzing with life this morning. Countless bees sought nectar and pollen from the tiny yellow flowers, and I captured this photo of one of them with a grasshopper and a camera-shy ladybug.

How have we come to the end of September already? There are only three Saturday markets left for this year – and that can’t be right, but I stopped and checked just now, and it is. This Saturday, and then two in October.

The garden tells me that fall is here. I’ve begun clearing out beds to sow winter cover crops, pulling out brown, shriveled bean plants and the abundant weeds that have burst out with the recent rains. As soon as we get a dry day again, I will start digging sweet potatoes.

I’ve also been running outside during breaks in the rain (or in a light drizzle) to pick cucamelons and finally tuck in perennials that have been waiting in pots on my porch for me to plant them all summer: strawberries in a new bed, then rhubarb by the fence, more lavender in the herb garden, and even some creeping thyme and wild ginger in the front yard. Hopefully this damp weather will help them get well established before frost sets in.

Soggy as everything is right now, it looks like we might have a break of pleasant weather Saturday morning for the market (remember the fall hours: 9am-1pm!). The cucamelons certainly seem to be enjoying all this rain, so I should have plenty of those to offer! I will also have chard, carrots, onions, and garlic, along with the last jars of garlic salt and plenty of practical crocheted items for your home or gifting.

Finally, make sure to save the date for Thursday, October 24, 4-7pm, when the Broadway Community Market will be hosting a special evening market during Broadway’s Halloweenfest. We’ve been having a lot of fun with these popup markets this year, so come check it out!

See you at the market!