Autumn greens, willow, and apples

My daughter started some kale, lettuce and chard for me in a pot on September 5. As the photo from October 6  shows, the seedlings grew well through the fair weather of September; however, something devoured all of the lettuce shortly before transplanting. Fortunately, the kale (~40) and chard (~12) made it into a garden frame and under cover before the cold weather started (Oct 20). We won't be able to pick any of the greens this winter but we will have an early start in the spring. The kale would need to be planted in late July/early August in order to be mature enough to nurture and harvest through the winter cold. Maybe next year...

I ordered several varieties of willow this spring, but didn't get it planted until September. After spending several months in the refrigerator I didn't hold out much hope for them, however more than half of the cuttings sprouted leaves and appear to be thriving.

We picked about 50 lbs of Gala and Braeburn apples from our trees in late-October. They have a lot of blemishes but these are mostly skin deep and the sweetness and crunch of the apples once peeled is unexcelled. These apples will last us into January with daily consumption. The best place I have found to store apples is in the produce drawer of the refrigerator. Technically the best storage conditions are 32 degrees F and 90% humidity, but the refrigerator will keep them in good condition until we have finished eating them in January.