These photographs of bell peppers were taken in mid October when the vegetable garden was winding down. I tend to move pepper plants outside later than is usually suggested because they don't seem to thrive until the weather is really warm both night and day. A few plants are plenty for me once they get going since I don't preserve peppers at this time. The peppers are late to mature, but once they come on I eat one or two peppers every day for weeks on end.

These are California Wonder Bell Peppers, which is a classic, heirloom, bell pepper known for its large, bell shape, thick walls, and sweet, mild flavor. These peppers and lettuce were the last items to be harvested from the garden in late November. The peppers needed to be covered a number of times before then because of frost, the first occurring October 23. Frost often occurs early in low-lying areas or valleys, and especially near a creek, so it's something I have to plan for, whatever the forecast.

While it's sad to see the garden come to an end, the good news is that slowly but surely I've extended the outdoor growing season to nearly nine months as the first cold hardy plants and seeds are planted in March, only three months off.