Harvests have been small in recent weeks as I plant the winter garden. You can see the progress in a post In My Garden, Late October. As I anticipate abundance later, I find particular joy in unexpected harvests. Inspecting my Lavender ‘Provence’ I found just enough blooms for another large pitcher of lavender lemonade. With our warm Santa Ana winds and work to be done in the garden, the lemonade was unseasonably refreshing.

Also unexpected was the abundant second crop of ‘Dorsett Golden’ apples from our small espaliered tree. Seven pounds will make some sumptuous applesauce and apple desserts.

The ‘Baby Belle’ peppers and ‘Red Beauty’ bell peppers seem undaunted by the chilly nights. I’m picking some of them green, though I’m eyeing one that is almost all red. Some of the radishes planted about five weeks ago will be ready soon. Here’s the first of ‘Easter Egg II.’

I harvested the lettuce transplants about ten days ago so I’m mixing French sorrel with my salad greens to extend the lettuce. I like the lemon flavor it adds. See my post On Growing Sorrel or use the search icon to check other posts about French sorrel.

Here’s one of my fall garden salads with garden lettuce, French sorrel, apples and red pepper from the garden.

My parsley plant was encroaching on newly planted spinach and likely harboring sow bugs which snacked on the newly emerged spinach. I gave it a good shearing, sacrificing the flowers which the hover flies find irresistible. I tied up the parsley bouquet and delivered it to my favorite local cafe where I’ve shared my edible flowers. Check the gorgeous and delicious fare at Little Lion Cafe. I’m sure they’ll put it to good use.

I’ve decided that pickled red onions are essential to have on hand so I pulled one of my stored red onions to make another round.

Autumn abundance describes this assemblage of Tagetes lemonii and Aster ‘Nana Hearn.’ They’re both at their peak this week so this was my bouquet for church.

See what other garden bloggers harvested last week at Harvest Monday hosted by Dave at Our Happy Acres.