Fall garden vignettes

(Morning glories and trumpet vine still send tendrils winding over the garden gate)

It's fall; there's no denying the change in seasons, which is why I love living in the northeast. While I often think I want summer to last forever, fall is a wonderful time of year, with the garden still robust and producing well. Why is it, though, the fall harvest seems that much sweeter? Perhaps knowing a heavy frost could wipe it out at any moment peppers the produce with a sweeter taste and the last bouquets of flowers with a more vibrant appreciation.

Knowing the inevitable will happen as the seasons swirl in rotation, here are some parting shots from the gardening season, which was somewhat bittersweet without a crop of homegrown tomatoes, lost to a devastating blight. (OK, I'm over it now!)

Late greens and a last head of red cabbage are destined for a simple salad. Long red and orange habarnero peppers are abundant late producers. They will fire up some homemade salsas and add a fruity heat to a carrot-based hot sauce canned for winter use.

Broccoli and a variety of peppers are still producing. Potatoes and squash are ready for winter storage. Thank the goddess the dahlias, zinnias, sunflowers and other flowers are still going strong.

A late batch of arugula tastes better than ever in salads and pestos.

Scarlet runner beans are peaking on their tepee support. Blackened or sauteed in olive oil with garlic and tomatoes, string beans have accompanied many meals this season.

I might feel the loss of fresh basil the most. This lovely opal basil is an aromatic reminder to use it lavishly whenever I can.

Rhubarb chard is a wonder of design and good taste.

Rainbow chard got a late start but is making a welcome comeback.

The calabrese kale was one of the first crops to produce and will weather the first few frosts. What a hardy companion it is.

A second crop of broccoli grows among the nicotiana and rampant Grandpa Otis morning glories, which I pulled out like weeds.

The parsley patch was especially robust this season. No need to run to the store for a fresh batch of parsley, one of the herbs I use the most. I will make sure to freeze some for winter use.

Nasturtiums and marigolds liven up the landscape. Both flowers are edible and their petals add panache to garden salads and many other dishes.

A late sowing of sunflowers paid off with these brilliant stalks in October.

And that's the end of this "tail" for now.

Time to ready the plots for fall plantings of lettuces and spinach, garlic and strawberry transplants — all of which is more fun with kitty companions.