Looking out my window the other day, I noticed the tips of a neighboring tree fading to a brilliant yellow, and I felt a twinge of sadness. Wait! I wanted to shout at the tree. I’m not ready yet!

It’s been a hard year, with the drought, but even so I’m not ready to let go of summer. I’m still waiting on the good tomato crop that never came, and I miss the ever-abundant cucumbers already, only a week gone. But the garden is tired. The cucumber vines have shriveled to brown, the skeletal bean plants wait only to be pulled, and the peppers and tomatoes don’t show much promise. It’s time to prepare for a long winter’s rest.

There is, of course, much to love about fall, such as the show put on by the trees and the perfect blend of outdoor activity and indoor coziness. In the garden, the Perpetual Spinach chard takes center stage, thriving as the rest of the garden seems to fade. My second crop of zucchini is chugging along as well, happy for the rains this week, and the cucamelons show no signs of slowing yet. I also plan to dig carrots tomorrow and finally get some of those onions trimmed and cleaned up for market.

I will have all of those veggies at the Broadway Community Market on Saturday, which is beginning its fall hours: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. I’ll also have garlic, the last couple jars of garlic salt, and a variety of crocheted items (including adorable pumpkin bookmarks!).

See you at the market!

Take a moment to just breathe and appreciate this perfect rose-pink zinnia I saw in the garden this morning. Isn’t it beautiful?

Okay, let’s dive in.

Kicking off fall a little early, the Broadway Community Market will be set up for the entirety of the Broadway Autumn Festival this Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The market will actually be open an hour earlier than the rest of the festival, so if big crowds aren’t your thing, come out between 8 and 9 a.m. to enjoy some quiet shopping.

I found some lovely orange and green yarn at Gift and Thrift yesterday and have been working up fun little pumpkin bookmarks to add to my table this week. I will also have some other crocheted items I don’t usually bring, as well as fresh veggies from the garden:

• cucamelons
• cucumbers
• jalapenos
• tomatoes
• chard
• garlic
• garlic salt
• dish cloths and scrubbies
• skillet handle covers
• Swiffer covers
• cup cozies
• flower, sprout, and pumpkin bookmarks

The garden grows tired as we near the autumn equinox, so you will notice a transition in vegetable availability over the coming weeks. Just in the last week, the cucumber vines have gone from green and lush to brown and crumbling. I’ve picked a pile of cucumbers for the market on Saturday, but those vines won’t be producing any more fruits. The cucamelons right next to them are still going strong, though! One bed over, the skeletal bean plants are also done for the year, and beyond them, the peppers and tomatoes are slowing down.

The perpetual spinach chard (a mild chard that tastes a bit like spinach) looks great and should continue providing us with fresh greens into the fall. And although it’s difficult to say for sure until I pull them out of the soil, I will likely have some beautiful carrots soon! The onions that have been curing in my attic are finally ready to clean up and bring to market too, so you might see those next week.

See you at the market!

Hello friends, just a quick note today to let you all know that I will not be at the Broadway Community Market tomorrow. I do have lots of veggies, though, and if you would like to arrange a porch pickup here in Broadway in the next couple days, please send me a Facebook message (quicker response) or email. Available this week:

• cucumbers
• cucamelons
• cherry tomatoes
• paste tomatoes
• beans
• zucchini
• garlic

Other great vendors will still be setting up at the Broadway Community Market tomorrow, so please do go see what they have to offer! I know there will be homemade ham potpie, delicious baked goods, an earring sale, and a new vendor with jerky and other snacks.

See you at the market … next weekend!