With summer slowly fading away, it was time to start thinking about winter–no matter how much I don’t want to. At least, it meant more planting. It was time to turn the potato beds into brassica beds with kale, broccoli, and cauliflower for winter and through the hunger gap in spring.

I’d been nurturing tiny brassica plants for a few weeks at home, first under grow lights, then on the balcony. Almost all had germinated and survived, so I had a lot of greens to plant into the former potato beds.

Again, I’d lost the labels to emergency reshuffling. I don’t know which of these are kale, broccoli, or cauliflower. It’s especially annoying, as I’d gotten two varieties of each to see which worked better for us.

But there are many healthy brassica plants, so I’ll take the win instead of worrying about the mess-up.

I’d emptied this potato bed a few days earlier, so it was ready to plant new things into. I spaced them in a way that I hope will have enough room for large plants. I can’t wait to see what’s what.

I already have a few kale plants in the carrot bed that have made it through the first few sets of leaves. The slugs are eating them but the plants grow new green faster than they eat them.

I’d still like a few more kale plants, and many broccoli and cauliflower to get us through winter and spring.

As always, everything was mulched heavily. I am reusing the straw I’d used to cover the potatoes and protect them from sunlight.

Mid-August was very hot here in North-East Germany, so I was more than glad I’d taken the umbrella. Even in the shade, I was sweating. The water bottle was refilled multiple times that day.

While I don’t know which plant is what, here are the options: Calinaro and Rasmus broccoli, Neckarperle and Tabiro cauliflowers, as well as Westland Winter, Westland Autumn, and Paradiesler kale. Names are weird…

Once all the plants were in, I added as much straw as possible to the bed while leaving room around the plants.

My balance was still pretty bad, but getting better. Swaying is a normal part of my life most days. I can do all the balance exercises doctors and such throw at me, but if I don’t focus, my balance is very bad. Balance is one of the many things my body should do automatically but can’t.

One of the next episodes will be about gardening with a disability, so let’s focus on the greens for now. I moved on to the next bed, most of which was still filled with potatoes. I’d harvested a third of the bed, sown beets and chard, then called it a day, so it was a bit in limbo. I decided to add three fennel plants next to the beets. They were eaten up by slugs the next day.

The very wet weather for almost two years has been great for the Spanish slug. Somehow, they survive the heat.

I moved the umbrella again–still not easy with the injured finger that hasn’t fully healed. This bed had been harvested by my husband weeks ago. I think it was the first to get emptied.

Toward the back, the salsify was growing well. Now that the potatoes were gone, it was thriving in the sun.

I’d tried to seed some parsnip and carrots here a few weeks ago. Not a single one germinated. So, I decided the bed was fair game for the rest of the winter greens. If any of the seeds come up this fall or next year, I’ll figure it out then if necessary.

I removed the thick layer of mulch to plant the greens. I added as many brassica plants to the bed as would fit with decent spacing–but still had some left. I was keen to spread them out a bit to see where slugs were most problematic–and to have some survive.

This bed would turn out to be slug central. But I didn’t know that yet. None of the plants I am planting here will survive the munching slimies. Good thing I had a second batch on the balcony to fill the gaps a few days later. Straw is supposed to keep slugs out. I can tell you mine don’t care about the exfoliation… Some even make the straw their hideout during the day.

My husband had printed me some slug traps, so I set them up and filled them with beer. They wouldn’t stay long. Too much bykill. I’d rescue a butterfly trying to get to the delicious smelling beer inside the trap, then take them down.

Slug pressure would turn out to vary widely in the garden. I’ll tell you all about it soon. I’d still had some plants left, so I’d spread them around the sunny side of the sunflower bed.

So long, and thanks for being here. A special thanks to the person who donated 50 bucks the other day. Thanks to all of you!