Well, the weather here has been fairly gross for the past week or so, meaning that it has rained basically all day every day, with temperatures ranging from 35-55 F. Surprisingly, however, the plants have not been nearly as put out by this development as I have. 
The cilantro is doing fabulously, so much so that I am tempted to pick some of it for use in the tofu tacos I plan to make this evening (more on that next time!). This is pretty surprising, given that Josh and I managed to kill our first cilantro sprouts earlier this summer with too-strong compost. Who knew plain soil and dreary weather was just the ticket?
The rest of the garden (with the exception of the broccoli, which I’ll come to in a minute) continues to do well. The collard greens in particular seem to be thriving, and we plan to eat some spinach soon. We may also consider picking the collards a bit early, rather than risking their untimely end due to a killing frost…but I’m unsure of whether this would be a good idea. If anyone has experience with cooking/eating young collards, let me know. My hunch is that it would be fine–and perhaps even better than fully developed collards, which are usually so tough that they require quite a lot of cooking.
The broccoli, as I said, aren’t looking so hot. They’re trying, bless their hearts, but until whatever critter in the yard (who apparently likes broccoli as much as I do) stops munching on them, I fear they won’t amount to much. I realize that this is probably something that I, as gardener, should try to take care of…but short of covering the entire garden with chicken wire (which, let’s face it, is not going to happen), I’m not sure what can be done. For a time, I was using Dewey as a living scarecrow, but it’s unclear how well this worked–given her general disinterest in birds, who I believe to be the culprits–and I’m dubious on its future prospects, since Dewey appears to feel the same way I do about being outside when it’s cold and rainy. As always, suggestions are welcome. Especially if they involve minimal effort.
So, it’s beginning to look like we actually will get something edible out of this garden, even if it only amounts to a salad or two and a taco garnish. And that, as my father would say, is better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.
Philosophers at Home 