Frozen tomato, anyone?

​No? Well, I don't blame you. They're just not as tasty as the fresh ones. Except I no longer have any fresh ones to offer you, since all my garden fresh produce became frozen garden produce overnight.

Yep. When I woke up early Sunday morning and peeked out the window at the frost encrusted landscape, I knew the inevitable had finally occurred...
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The first killing freeze had arrived, and kill it did.

Life in the garden was no more, and all that remained of my once green and lively vegetable patch was a silvery-brown and lifeless mass of frozen vegetation.

Or so I thought. Looks really can be deceiving, because on further inspection I discovered a few bright spots in this apparently dismal landscape...
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Like this purple broccoli plant. It almost seemed to be reaching upward into the frigid breeze and didn't seem to mind at all the dusting of frost crowning its head.

And the red cabbage also didn't seem fazed by the cold. It appeared to even be enjoying the frosty air and the ice crystals that laced its leaves.


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And the marigolds, though likely to not survive the plummeting temperatures, took the flash freeze in stride.
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And the English lavender withstood the attack like a proper lady would--her head held high and her spine straight, never wavering beneath the pressure of the circumstances.

The epitomy of grace and dignity...reminds me of myself, come to think of it.

Ahem. My delusions may be showing, so I'll distract you by showing you this...
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I wasn't the only one inspecting the garden that morning.
Adrienne was already eagerly making her way down the garden paths in search of anything tasty she could scratch up or pluck out. She was in a perky mood despite the weather...

While Rocky the Rooster had a different attitude altogether. I found him huddled beneath the purple broccoli plant, looking very cold and slightly confused.

I think he's trying to figure out where his other leg went.

All is well, though--he eventually discovered it tucked up in his nice and cozy feathers, and then lowered it down and stuck the other one up there so it could have a turn.

​I don't think winter weather is his favorite thing, and he wasn't alone in that sentiment...
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Because the eggplant looked exhausted...
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The hot peppers looked kind of chili.

Sorry...I couldn't resist. And now I've messed up my rhythm. Ok, let's try this again: The eggplant was exhausted, the hot peppers looked chilly...

The squash blossoms looked slightly shriveled...

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And the roses looked a right bit ragged.

Whew! I made it through.

As will my garden. But right now it's time for it to get some beauty sleep. And let's be honest--we all need to rest every now and then. It's what helps us be our best the rest of the time...
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Even when it's freezing outside!

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"Well we're not ones to go 'round spreading rumors, why really we're just not the gossipy kind. No you'll never hear one of us repeating gossip, so you'd better be sure and listen close the first time."

Anyone else remember Hee Haw?

Anybody? Well, I know you're out there. And I know you recognize those catchy lyrics.

This jingle was one of my favorites from the show, and it comes to mind this morning because of a rumor I've been hearing recently. A rumor that I'm about to repeat, so listen closely:

THE FIRST FALL FROST IS COMING!!

That's right. Some say it's coming this week, some say it'll be here before month's end, and some say it'll never happen at all.

Oh wait--that last someone was just me. I like to be deliberately in denial on occasion...it helps me stay sane.

Or at least I like to think it does. If anybody has proof otherwise, just kindly keep your mouth shut. I'd rather not have my delusion ruined.

I'd also rather not have my garden ruined, but alas, all good things must come to an end.

So. Instead of sitting here crying over something I have no control over (which I'm much too mature to ever do, of course), I've decided to celebrate the end of my garden by capturing it in it's final days of glory...

And speaking of glory, the glorious flowers are still blooming...this lavender and zinnia combo spent the day soaking up the bright fall sunlight almost as if they knew their days would soon come to an end.

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The knockout roses are still knocking it out of the park...

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And the zinnias seem to be reaching farther and farther up as the sun gets lower and lower in the sky.

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The cherry tomato plants are acting like they don't have a care in the world except to keep producing these sweet, juicy nuggets of flavor...

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While the White Queens are desperately trying to produce future heirs so they can secure their hold on the throne...apparently turning yellow helps with that. All that royal protocol is a bit mysterious to me, but I do find it fascinating.

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And I find the Cherokee Purples fascinating too...right now they're slowly transitioning from green to bronze as if they have all the time in the world to do so.

Which they don't, but all my efforts to warn them have failed, probably since I don't speak their language.

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But the neighboring basil plants have gotten the hint and have shot toward the sky while blooming profusely in a final attempt to reseed themselves for next year.

The smell is phenomenal, by the way. And very invigorating.

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Which brings us to the peppers, which seem to be invigorated too. These heat-loving beauties have taken the weather change in stride, mainly because they absolutely love all these cool nights we've been having.

I have to agree with them. Warm days followed by cool nights are my favorite weather pattern too.

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I think the okra plants are like-minded also, since they've suddenly come alive after spending the summer pretending to be dormant. Now it's like watching a VHS tape stuck on fast-forward--the stalks have kicked into high gear and grown taller than me as the flowers simultaneously burst into glorious bloom only to transform into pointy okra pods almost before my very eyes!

Whew! Okra really is a remarkable plant. And tasty, too.

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And speaking of remarkable and tasty, check out these ebony-hued eggplants dangling tantalizingly on their stems!

They're almost too stunning to pick, but I'm gonna pick 'em anyway. Just like I picked the last of the red cabbage, the Brussels sprouts, and the few remaining cantaloupe. After all, isn't that why I have a garden?

I love admiring the beauty of it all, but tasting the beauty is even better! I've tasted everything pictured in this post--even the flowers! And just so you know, it all tastes as pretty as it looks.

After this frost hits, though, those flowers--and most everything else--will be gone. Another growing season will have gone down in the books, and cold weather will be well on its way.

I realize it's all part of the circle of life, and no matter how sad it is, I'll accept that like the grown-up that I am.

So if you need me over the winter, I'll be sitting in front of the TV, watching Hee Haw reruns and singing along with the "Gloom, despair, and agony on me..." gang. Moans and groans and all.

​Because even though I'm an adult, every now and then I like to pout about things I have no control over.

Don't worry about me, though. I'll be ok as soon as the ground thaws out!