I finally spent some time in the vegetable garden this weekend and there are signs of spring all over. From the green lawn, where a neighbor was actually out mowing the grass; to the trees, which look like they are ready to just explode with blossoms, leaves, and seed pods.

The first fall frosts are far behind and we’ve experienced many nights of below freezing temperatures, but the past couple of weeks have brought very mild weather with daytime temperatures often reaching close to seventy degrees. Not bad weather for the month of November! As is normally the case, getting the garden through those early season frosts has rewarded fall vegetable gardeners with the bonus of additional weeks of terrific growing conditions.

The summer isn’t half way over and temperatures reached triple digits today but I’ve already begun planning and planting my fall vegetable garden. Last week I sowed seeds of rutabagas, turnips, and various kale varieties directly into an empty raised bed.

The garden is shaping up nicely as I continue to direct seed and transplant summer vegetables into the raised beds. The leafy spring greens that were harvested beginning in March are finished producing and have been removed from the garden to make room for summer crops. One reddish tinged wild kale plant was left behind in the garden to produce seed.

It has been so dry that I resorted to watering the garden last weekend after planting parsnip, salsify, turnip, spinach, and kale seeds. I also transplanted a few heirloom lettuce, spring broccoli, and Swiss Chard plants out into the garden.