I can’t seem to find the time to write a blog this year. It’s nothing like my regular once a week post I used to do. I have to admit the new block editor has complicated things. I need a lot more time to learn it. Last weekend I did look at some videos, but none of them answered my questions and relatively few were even doing the sort of blog I do. But this is my attempt at putting my learning into practice.
The garden is looking beautiful, if a bit end of season. The asters have been in their glory, giving bees a last few bits of pollen before they have to hunker down for the winter. Other creatures have been out and about as well.
I have done a bit of fall planting in my garden, even though I still have a lot of peppers and some tomatoes coming on. I’ve planted kale, which does well in the fall, arugula, which likes cool weather as well, some carrots, and beets. I also brought the cold frame back to the garden and planted lettuces in it. I haven’t covered it yet, because temperatures are still in the upper 60s and I don’t want to cook the seeds.
I’m also looking forward to harvesting this eggplant. There’s another close to this size below it, making this the best year for eggplant I had in years. I doubt the blossoms will get very far, given the lateness of the year.
In the donation garden, Holly and I harvested the last of the okra and beans and the last of the large crooknecks, then cleaned the garden out and prepped it for fall. Along with donations from fellow gardeners, we were able to send 577 pounds of fresh produce to food pantries so far. With the discovery of two more crooknecks, not yet ripe, a resurgence of tomatoes, and a second crop of cucumbers, I hope to tip 600 pounds, but we’ll see.
Holly did an amazing job creating rows for the fall plantings. Here in Virginia, if the weather cooperates, you can grow pretty well in the fall, if you stick to root crops and cold weather plantings.
Holly put in spinach, beets, various kinds of radishes, carrots, lettuce, and turnips, some of which were volunteering. In previous years, I’ve had really good luck with broccoli and cauliflower. The bonus is that if they get bitten by frost or freezing rain, the early spring garden is pre-planted.
Next year, we’ll also be able to harvest from our asparagus, which this year was harvested by the rabbits, for the most part. Next year, I’ll be much greedier.
arlingwords 
It does take a while to get a handle on the new block editor, though I must admit that I use the classic to create posts. I can deal with updates on the block. I see why they think it is simpler, but the layout doesn’t look like what the finished piece does, so I’m not thrilled with the change.
Impressed with all the produce your community garden gave away. You have a nice long growing season!
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Yes, I was thinking about just using the classic, but they’re going to phase out support to it in a couple years and I figured I’d deal with the pain of it now. I’m not that thrilled with the way the posts look, but I’ll try to mess with it in future posts. Like the size of the photos! Oy! But now I can actually do it, I feel better about posting. As for the growing season, we’ll see what happens!
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Always wonderful to see your garden! I understand the blog dilemma. Seems I’m posting a lot fewer and I, too, blame some of that on the block editor. I just don’t like it! Ha! But it’s here to stay, so I better watch a few how-to videos, too. Have a good week.
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Thanks for coming by. The folks in the UK were talking about the block editor first; some seemed to change easily and others had trouble. I tried it once, thinking it might be intuitive. Not. So I did one post after the changeover in classic (which you can revert to) and then thought I’d better learn the block editor…I can see why people’s blogs changed format afterward–the look isn’t quite right. But at least I can get a post up in it now.
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I solved the problem with the block editor by simply choosing the ‘classic’ block, which gives me all the functionality I need for my blog. I’m using the classic block for Lagniappe, but still sticking with the classic editor for The Task at Hand. In time, I’ll switch both to the classic block. I’ve not had any problems with photos on Lagniappe, but that may be due to adding them within the classic block.
Anyway: your blog looks fine, and I wouldn’t have noticed anything different about it at all. Beyond that, I’m just as impressed with the views of the garden. I especially like the asters, but that’s one fine eggplant, too. Here’s an eggplant story for you. It’s absolutely true — I witnessed it. I was at the paint counter at Home Depot when a woman walked in with a gorgeous eggplant in her hand. When it was her turn, she asked the clerk, “Is it true you can use your computer to match any color?” When he assured her it was possible, she handed him the eggplant. “Scan this,” she said. Our house has just been painted gray, and I want an eggplant-colored front door.”
So, he scanned it, and mixed the paint, and she went away happy. What a world!
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Oh, that’s funny. I got a turquoise blue color matched off a kleenex box for my kitchen. I’d taped a piece of it up on the wall like a chip. I was going for a Santorini sort of blue…
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All looking great and makes me hungry.
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Yep, that’s what gardens do…
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Lisa, I think your food production is absolutely superb as are your photographs.
As for the Block editor, if you don’t like it then don’t use it. Great if you like it, but if you don’t, I can’t see the point of struggling and becoming frustrated.
After giving each of the remaining three editors a thorough workout and writing How To guides for the blocks and the other two editors for our How To page on Weekly Prompts I finally settled with the classic that is accessed via WP Admin.
It’s the oldest classic, the original, but it’s superior to the blocks and block classic. Just in case you need a little assistance https://weeklyprompts.com/how-to/ apologies if you don’t ned help with any of the editors.
For me, the block editor has too many flaws that still haven’t been ironed out, it’s often unresponsive and editing individual blocks instead of a whole page is time-consuming.
So many rumours abound about the classics will they stay or will they go. Who knows the truth!
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Thanks, Sue! I downloaded your instructions on how to access classic editor and did that for the last post. I will experiment to see what’s easiest. Thing is, I’m not good with icons and need to know what they mean, but i’m not averse to learning something new, so I may go back to your instructions on the new one and see what I think.
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Give WP admin Classic a try. It’s such a shame that they had to take away the other Classic. All we need is a simple word processor, we are not asking for much are we?
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No, when I watched the videos, it became clear they were upping their game for people who wanted to do sales websites. I just need some decent format options and to be able to insert photos into text. I think I’ll get the hang of it. Since they claim they’re taking Classic away in a couple years, I may as well learn what I’ll have to eventually. Unless the Admin Classic, which I used for the post before this one, is going to stay…We’ll see–I was frustrated with inability to format leading in the classic and I can do that in the block in a limited way…
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This what WordPress had to say in June this year.
It is impossible to say at this time for how long the classic editor will remain. At this point it is still available in WP-Admin for all sites on WordPress.com, and currently we don’t have any plans to completely remove it at a predetermined date.
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That’s good news!
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It is good to hear that they have no immediate plans.
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I’m sorry you have beed deterred by the new editor, but you have done well with this. I have never seen a butterfly like that one. Are masks mandatory when working outside?
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That’s a Buckeye, I’m pretty sure. No, but we use the masks when harvesting, just to be extra careful, and I think Holly was also being incognito. We wear them if we can’t distance outside, but for the most part to talk, we just stand far apart!
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I’m still using Classic and will do so until WP takes it away. Then, I’ll either use the Block Editor or find another platform. As busy as I am, I really don’t have the time or patience to experiment. Your gardens look fantastic. Wonderful! And what is that butterfly? Like Derrick, I’ve never seen one like it.
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I’m pretty sure it’s a buckeye. Its wings aren’t fully out, but the orange marks and the eyes are typical. As for the WP editor, well, I’ll be trying a few things. Once I watched some videos, it was easier. They’ve just set it up for people who are doing more than text and photos….
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I am also using the classic editor , it is the only one with accent. What am I going to do in 2 years time?
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Well, SueW at Nan’sFarm was in touch with WordPress and they said they had no timeline for completely removing Classic. So my videos were likely wrong. Yay!
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Good news! Thank you.
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I hear you, Lisa and truly empathize. I’m struggling with the same things. The new WP is quite the struggle as I had to learn as I went on my last post. I just don’t seem to get as much done as I once did. We are having an early freeze this week so I’m buttoning up everything outside. Maybe I’ll have more time here then. It’s time to run again so have a wonderfilled week and enjoy what’s left of your garden. Love the butterfly.
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Thanks, Marlene! I suppose it’s good to learn something new. On the other hand, it’s finding time to do that! Good luck with your chores. It’s fairly warm here now for October…
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Ah yes, the dreaded block editor. I tried it when it first came out. I ended up publishing two identical paragraphs. That was embarrassing.
On a less stressful note, your garden looks great. I love garden transitions. I’m not much of a winter gardener. I’ve tried broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots in the past. I didn’t properly thin the carrots, the broccoli bolted in an early heatwave, and I think it was the cauliflower that was infested with some pest. I’m happy to read that you have had so much success with your winter crops. They support your love of cooking, too. Way to go, Lisa.
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Thanks, Alys. It never occurred to me that it may not ever get cold enough where you are for the harlequin bugs and whitefly to die off. That’s why I only grow certain things in the fall–kale being one. Cole crops really take on the harlequins. I’ve never had whitefly, but my friend Paul’s kale was ultimately totally infested this summer (on my watch; I didn’t know what eco friendly thing to use). I just never have it past early spring. I’ve often thought I’d definitely grow year round in California, but I’d have some things to learn! May we both have better luck with the next blog!
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The garden is still beautiful and productive, Lisa, and I love those purple asters. We had our first hard freeze last night, it was 30 degrees this morning.
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Wow! There’s something nice about that first frosty morning. We had fifties and fog and more fog to come tomorrow morning, though it cleared off today before noon. Last year we didn’t really have winter, so who knows what we’ll get this year!
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Hi Lisa! You’re garden was a fab producer this year. It’s a great way to pass the time too while we all wait to enjoy safe outings again. I noticed Holly had on a mask, that’s great! I don’t understand the ones who refuse. Anyways, you sure enjoy a long season. We’ve had frost and snow this month. The snow mostly melted because of a couple of days of above 0 C (32 F). Bravo for helping with the Food Pantry !! xK
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Hey, good to hear from you. I heard about snow in Calgary and wondered if you’d got it in Edmonton. We’re still getting hurricanes tailing up at us–waiting for a few inches from Zeta. Yes, the anti maskers are an odd lot. I think Holly was just going incognito, though, as we were distanced at that point and done harvesting. I hope you’re ready to cozy in for the winter…
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Not really ready for winter. I never blew all the leaves out of the yard to rake, nor did I clean up the perennials. I usually cut them back so it’s neat and tidy in the spring. I just couldn’t get into for some reason, ha!
Yes, Calgary got nailed with snow. They’re much closer to the mountains than Edmonton. We’re getting rain today. I think it was 11C today (52 F)
Fingers crossed for the Election, Go Joe Go!
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I’ve already voted, but still, can’t wait for it to be over with the right result.
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I love that you grow food to share.
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Thank you. It’s been part of gardening for a few years now. There are always hungry people–and more now than before the pandemic. It’s a way to contribute.
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Now that I am so far behind schedule, I can also say that the weather is feeling a bit more like autumn here too! I knew it would happen eventually.
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Yes, it was like November today! I’m slowly cleaning out the garden.
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Well, I missed this post back then, and what a treat it is to read a post about autumn in the dead of a Canadian winter! thank you for it. Now: are you getting the bad winter weather there too, Lisa?
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It’s cold here today (high about 30) and windy, but yesterday there was a bit of a thaw to take the ice and sleet off the trees. There isn’t much left. The changing weather patterns mean the worst goes south of us when it comes from the west, and even when it comes up the coast, we’ve been lucky this year. So far only about 2 1/2 inches of snow/sleet at once. You must be looking at seed catalogues about now, though, even in the frozen northland. Thanks for coming by! I hope to write something new soon…
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Lisa, I am dreaming of starting my own herbs indoor again, while waiting for spring. If we’re lucky, spring is 7 weeks away. If not, it’s further away.
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Oooh visit this site and see this book review: https://cottageinthecourt.com/allaboutthegardenife/herb-gardening-contained-success-in-the-garden/ Of course, you likely already know how to do this, but it’s fun to get new ideas!
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Will do. Thanks, Lisa!
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