The Front Door

Fall has definitely arrived here in Minnesota and as usual, I am way behind in drafting posts about what has gone on around here.  I have taken hundreds of photos over the summer, but putting those photos into a post takes time…something I always seem to be lacking.

I took this photo of our front porch today.  We harvested our pumpkins a few weeks ago and have kept them in the barn until yesterday.  With a cool and rainy day upon us, we decided it was time to bring them out and display them on our front steps.  The bright orange sure livens up the entrance to our house!

We have decided to take a year off from growing pumpkins and squash after a nasty infestation of squash bugs for the second year in a row. (You can read more about squash bugs here).

If you have not dealt with these buggers in your garden, be happy.  They are disgusting and we just do not want to deal with them next year again.  We are hoping the absence of their favorite feeding ground for a year will break the cycle and we can resume growing pumpkins and squash without battling those bugs all summer long. We took a year off from growing potatoes after repeated infestations with potato bugs and it seemed to work. Being cautious, we planted a small row of potatoes this year and enjoyed a potato bug-free  season!

On the bright side, we did manage to battle through the squash bugs and grow some pumpkins before they totally destroyed the vines.  Our squash crop however, was a total loss.

My ferns on the porch are continuing to thrive in this cooler weather.  I hate the thought of them being killed off by the frost.  I may try to bring them inside and see how long I can stretch out their life into the fall and winter.

I hope you are enjoying the fresh air and bright colors of fall in your part of the country.

–Lynell