It really felt good to put the greenhouse to bed, to harvest the last of the green tomatoes (somewhere close to 75 pounds, certainly, and let everything rest for the coming winter. It turned into a solid half day cutting down the tomato plants, which was the only effective way to find all the fruit, and then hauling the harvest up to the house. Green tomato pickles and green tomato salsa are on the list of canning projects. I’ve already done one batch of pickles and they were just the thing!

Autumn really is a funny time—On the one hand, everything is getting put to rest, brought inside, harvested, and the garden dies off. But plans are already being made for next year, and it was a joy to dig in the dirt for a few hours to get tulips and daffodils in the ground.

Gardening never truly ends. One season comes to a close and the next begins, and by the time winter starts to feel long, there will be six-inch-tall tomatoes flourishing in the living room window, and greens will be peeking up from the chilly ground. And, hopefully, a lovely display of tulips and daffodils.