Fall on the Farm

Here we are in mid-November and we've had a couple of good frosts that have killed what was left of the heat-loving summer plants.  Here's how the basil patch looks.  Pretty grim.

Other garden plants can take light frosts with ease. The asparagus is turning yellow and gold, but still has a lot of green.  I love the fern-like foliage.  It's just a pretty plant to have in the garden, in addition to the yummy spears we get to eat every spring.

This little patch of volunteer cilantro came up from seed dropped by last spring's crop. 

It will not survive the winter unprotected, though, so I covered it with a light row-cover that will protect it from the cold, yet will allow enough light through to keep it alive.

The taller plant in the corner, not covered by the row-cover, is an herb called Tansy.  It is a non-culinary herb that has beautiful yellow flowers in the spring.  Several years ago I wrote a blog article about it.  It is an ancient herb that has an interesting history:    Tansy

The spearmint is still green and smells so good.  Like most of the perennial herbs, it will go dormant once really cold weather arrives. 

I also have a small patch of Horseradish that is green and ready to dig.  

Horseradish is one of those things that is hard to get rid of once it is planted in a spot.  I learned this the hard way.  Several years ago, I purchased a horseradish root at the grocery store, used a little of it and decided to plant the rest of the root.  As is my usual custom, I just picked a random spot and buried it.  It grew into a big plant and produced a nice harvest of horseradish in the fall.  However, what I did not realize was that you have to get EVERY piece of the roots when you dig it, or it will grow back.  As a result, this plant comes back year after year.  Fortunately, it is in a somewhat out-of-the-way place and doesn't get in my way too much, although, I do wish I had been more thoughtful of where I planted it.

Finally, my fennel plant is still green and happy.

Fennel is another herb that I grow mostly for the pretty foliage and flowers.  This is not the kind of fennel that makes the edible bulb used in cooking.  That kind is difficult to grow in Oklahoma with our hot summers.  This variety is a non-bulbing type that produces lovely feathery foliage with sweet flavor.  The leaves are a nice addition to salads, cole slaw, and dressings. The seeds can be used in baking and can also be used in teas and tinctures as a digestive aid.