From Summer to Fall: What’s Still Growing in Our Garden

This year has felt a little like a science experiment in the garden. Moving to a new planting zone meant starting from scratch—guessing what would grow, what wouldn’t, and when to even put things in the ground. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if we’d get much at all. Boy oh boy was I WRONG.

But here we are, easing out of summer and into fall, and the garden is still surprising us. We’ve got a handful of tomatoes hanging on, watermelons that managed to push through, and now peas, okra, and pumpkins that are giving me hope for a colorful harvest. Some things thrived, some things didn’t, and I’m tucking all those lessons away for next year.

The kids don’t care one bit about planting calendars or zone charts—they’re just thrilled to eat watermelon right out of the patch and watch the beans grow taller than them. And honestly, their joy makes the trial-and-error feel like less of a “failure” and more of an adventure. They help pick out seeds to plant, as well as putting them in the ground. For them to get as excited as I do about plants producing food, is humbling to me.

What I’m learning is that gardening isn’t about perfection or predictable results—it’s about paying attention, trying again, and celebrating what does grow. Each little success (and even the flops) is teaching me more about this land, this zone, and how our family can make the most of it.

As we step into fall, I’m grateful for this messy, unpredictable garden season. It may not look like the tidy Pinterest gardens out there, but it’s ours—and it’s feeding us in more ways than one.