Autumn Harvest

They say that the essence of futility is to keep doing the same thing thing over and over while expecting a different result. So after two years of crop failures, I'm through with vegetables -- the weepy lettuce, stumpy carrots, and preemie zukes.

Now I'm planting puppies.

As an experiment, I tried a Labrador seed in March, before the last of our spring rains. Just tossed it in the raised bed, not expecting much, one way or the other. It languished during the hot summer months, looked more dead than alive, so I kind of thought, well -- that's that. Then all of a sudden, come November, I've got this. Rather thrilling, what?

Advantages of puppy seeds -- they till their own soil, dig their own holes, and self-fertilize.



I thumped this one on the head early this morning, and it sounds practically hollow, so I reckon it'll be ready for harvest in another week or so. Then I'll take it to our local backyard produce exchange. Maybe I'll get a melon or two in trade. Or even just a turnip, that'd be ok, given it's my first try.