These little gems—Baby Belle peppers from Renee’s Garden—are late summer favorites. I grow them from seed every year and I have red peppers available long before my full size bell peppers are ready.

The plants are compact but prolific. Cut in half and cleaned of seeds, I freeze them on a tray then tumble into a container for winter uses. The seed split is 50-50 red and orange. I also pick when still green to use fresh and freeze.

Just tossing the Hot Cocoa roses in here for a continuation of the stunning color.

Tomatoes figure into most meals and the kitchen island has plates of Early Girl, Dwarf Rosella Purple and Black Cherry tomatoes.

This is the last major harvest of Emerite pole beans. I’m letting the plants set seed for next year’s crop. Soon I’ll be planting Golden Sweet Snow Peas in their place.

I don’t usually harvest rhubarb this late in the season. We had to lift two very large clumps in July when our house was tented for termites. The divided plants went back in the ground with buckets of fresh compost. It looks like spring in the rhubarb patch so tomorrow I’ll be making some rhubarb-applesauce.

Planning and planting is underway as I prepare for the cool season garden. Only three of the six tomato plants remain and I’m harvesting the dry shell beans. Peppers are going strong and pole beans are setting seed. We are in meteorological fall as of September 1. I’m ready.

Check the What I’m Planting Now page as I plan and sow seeds for the cool season garden. Then head to Harvest Monday, hosted by Dave at Happy Acres blog and see what garden bloggers around the world harvested last week.

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