It Pained me to do it

      For the entire gardening season I have been able to compost everything back to the park plot other than harvested produce.  Then came August and 20 inches of rain.  Growth in a tropical rain forest is extensive.  As in weeds.  And more weeds.  Some weeds that I encouraged like Purple Basil and lamb's quarter.  Mistake.  Lamb's quarter may be edible, but that does not make it a desirable crop in a garden.  Nor the Purple Basil in excess.  Both turn into shrubs in just a year, with tenacious root systems to match.  Next year: no lamb's quarter, and maybe one or two Purple Basil.  Goodbye my little unlovelies.
      Tomatoes, peppers and most squash don't like that much rain, so gardening has taken a hit while the weeds are on a joy ride.  This late in the season it is also naturally the time to see a fade with the need to start some fall clean up.  But this is a little too much.

Veggie waste and weeds, 9/21/11

      I would normally try to cut this all up into small pieces to add to the compost pile, but this mountain is overwhelming.  It could take hours or days cutting it up, versus maybe an hour to run it over to the park compost pile.  Where they have front end loaders to do the mixing.  So, gulp, I gave into the time priority and loaded the pile onto my motorized garden cart.

Smarter gardening, 9/21/11

      Sometimes it just pays to bend a little.  After all, the plant material is being composted, and I will bring back wood chips, grass clippings and leaves to my garden.  So I am constantly adding more organic material to the beds.  And it shows.  I now have soil instead of clay, and big worms are now present to do the soil tilling the non motorized and quiet way.  There was not a worm to be found three years ago.

Same spot as above, now much prettier

Ready to start the fall gardening