Last week’s rain and wind wreaked havoc on the gardens. What was particularly sad was the destruction of the sunflowers in the boat in front of the old sober house in Oak Bluffs. It is difficult to see them as one is paying attention to the odd turn heading past the hospital parking lot. Try as I might, I still cannot figure the engineering reason for that turn.

In the vegetable garden, the late-planted green beans took a hit. Violet and I yanked them all up and harvested quite a few beans in the process. Because I over-purchased both winter rye and buckwheat a few years ago, the excess has been stored in the big freezer. I replaced the winter rye with buckwheat, as I guess it’s a little late to plant anymore buckwheat this year. It will be killed by freeze.

Therefore, I’m now riding around with winter rye in the truck in the hopes of actually doing what I say. One can only hope. I have planted it as late as November with some success.

I’ve always believed that winter squashes and pumpkins should be left to cure in the field. However, I feared for the safety of my butternut squash and picked it all. Last year some critter ate most of the pumpkins. I imagine turkeys were to blame since they did fly over the fence on occasion. 

The really good news this year is a promising sweet potato crop. Since we now have warmer temperatures (sigh) southern crops are doing well here.

In the shrub border, lespedeza is blooming like crazy. A member of the pea family, it is native to the eastern U.S. There is a lovely one spilling over the wall at Polly Hill’s.

On a recent drive up North Road, I noticed the beetlebung’s starting to get their fall color. They are particularly nice. This is the time of year that I miss the hills of Pennsylvania as the fall colors there are so much brighter. I could see seven mountain ranges from my childhood bedroom window. The yellows, oranges and reds reminded my brother and me of the breakfast cereal Trix.

I have a garden taken over with the hay-scented fern. The plan this late fall is to dig it all up and put it right-side up in the woods. It can grow happily there and I can reclaim some garden space. It is not bothered by deer (as just about everything else seems to be). It is also a native to our area and very pretty when it is under some sort of control.

I, like many others including some of his rally attendees, am becoming bored with and exhausted by the endless lies and hateful rhetoric of the former President. As a refreshing change of pace, I listened to Joe Biden’s speech to the United Nations. He took us through 50 years of events on the world stage. Rarely did he use the world “I” instead focusing on “We!”

Granted, his speech pattern is a bit difficult as a result of the life-long stutter and his work to overcome it. I wonder how many others in power would step aside for the good of his country.