Next, my first ever メロン…
I have always viewed メロン as terribly difficult to grow. But these have done so well.
I can’t wait to cut into it!
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We both know a melon that never grew up
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Yes, but Oh so ripe!
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保蔵
保存食
保存食品
Still looking for common words for food canning. This is when I look for canning supplies on amazon.jp, and see what words are used.
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You’re showing a bit too much skin for this forum, I think
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You had me going. I am paranoid about pictures with reflections, but I still don’t see any.
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I was referring to this 
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I figured that out.
I took the picture early this morning, just after getting up, so there would be no guessing what a reflection would show. 
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荏胡麻
I am just leaving this word here, because I never knew the word for this plant in my garden.
I need to find out if it will accidentally cross pollinate with my 赤シソ.
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There was a second one!
A seed must have blown out of my little pots (they did occasionally fall over), and down to the far end of the garden, because one sprouted out of nowhere in my flowerbed 
Both of these guys have been moved into place now and seem to be doing well - they grow very long tap roots, so don’t like being moved once they’re established - and I’m having a go at germinating some more this autumn, along with some sweet violets.
Sweet violet: 匂菫 - においすみれ
Genus (Viola): 菫 - すみれ
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One of the things that I like about columbine is that they like to mysteriously germinate on their own. I always keep my eye out for babies when I am weeding.
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I very nearly pulled this one, because it was so wholly unexpected. Keeping a much beadier eye out now!
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I like bleeding hearts in the same way. They last for years, disappear when they are done, and seed themselves when it suits them.
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I’ve managed to harvest another large quantity of chilies. I really didn’t think I’d get this much in the second batch. I’m very pleased about this! ^>^
Washed and toweled
Prepared to go in the oven at 80°C to dry for about 8-10 hours with the oven door ajar.
I’ll have to check on them from time to time. The thicker, meatier, ones will take the longest, while the thin small ones can be taken out earlier. I try them out by snapping them in half, to ensure they are truly dried out when they go in my dried chilies jar (ready to be turned into chili powder or chili flakes or whatever! 
)
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nom-nom!
Those look great! I am so glad that you posted them. It is so nice to have a finished harvest. Even a window-sill or balcony gardener can have the same successes (and failures) that a farmer has. We try our best, but most things remain out of our control, which makes the end bounty so much more valuable.
For me, to increase the value of the finished product, I try to not buy any of it at the store. We get so used to the convenience of being able to walk into the store and buy anything, even out of season. So, this year I didn’t buy any cantaloupe. The six that matured on my vines (there is still one left) may not be the best ever grown, but they grew in my garden, and I watched the miracle happen. If I truly had some willpower, I could now decide to not buy any at all this winter, which will make my own next summer all the more sweeter.
Now, you have grown and processed enough peppers to get your family through some of the year. You are a real farmer! 
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Dried 隠元豆
I don’t know if dried beans are a very productive use of my garden space. But it is satisfying to put some up. None of my beans were the best for eating green, so I will have to find a good variety for that next year. And I will still plant a small patch for beans to dry. I still have aspirations of growing enough soybeans to make 味噌 too.
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Still harvesting food each day.
I dried the シソleaves and made it into ふりかけ.
My garden has never given me such joy. My goal next year is to double in size. That should give us enough growing space to be self reliant in vegetables and some fruit. 
My first garden was over 25 years ago, so this has taken a while.
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堆肥の山
段ボール down for expansion
I am starting the work to double the garden’s size next year.
As some tomatoes ripened inside, I realized there was one of the yellow tomatoes that I intended to save seeds from. So I put it in a bowl outside to ferment a little. This morning, I saw something on the ground, and realized that a squirrel had grabbed my tomato and eaten the good stuff out. 
I guess I need get seeds for that next year.
Those little snots.
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