First frosts and photo shoots

What a week! My book photographer, 'Chicken Wire' Joe arrived from Alabama this past week and we spent several days photographing the fall garden.. putting up protective mini hoops, the cold frame crops, the bounty of autumn and the first frost! It was pure luck that the first frost arrived 2 mornings ago.. as soon as the sun rose and I could see that the garden was frost touched, I called Joe at his hotel and he grabbed his gear and got here asap.. we spent a good hour photographing the gorgeous frost patterns on the garden and various veggies before the sun began to melt the ice crystals..

We also squeezed in a trip to the amazing Annapolis Valley Heritage Seeds (www.annnapolisseeds.com), which is operated by 18-year old Owen Bridge. Owen was fantastic and gave us a wonderful tour of the fields and gardens, as well as his winter hoop house, which was filled with massive sunflower heads, containers of fermenting tomato seeds and in ground winter veggies. Joe and I also checked out the 'seed room' where all the seeds are stored until packaging and shipping. It was so interesting to see all the large containers of dried seeds.. the variety of seed shapes, colours and textures is just wondrous. I especially love the bean seeds - speckled, striped, solid, purple, red, white.. too pretty to eat..

We also popped into the spectacular garden of http://gardeningbren.blogspot.com to photograph the progress of her crops - I think I could pitch a tent and just live in her garden.. it is one of the loveliest veggie patches I have ever had the privilege to visit. So much to photograph.. so little time.. This is a photo of one of Joe's cameras set up and ready to shoot!

Phew.. Joe has now left for the Cabot Trail - have fun Joe - and life is returning to normal.. or at least as normal as life could be with only 2 1/2 weeks until book deadline!

Yesterday was a very wet and windy day and I had forgotten that I had left some of the floating row covers unsecured on top of the garden for the photo shoot. I only remembered when I noticed that there was a white 'ghost' fluttering wildly about 20-feet up in a tree. Oooppps! At least I got a photo of a garden 'don't'! Always remember to secure your row covers..

Anyway, here are a few photos from yesterday.. love the red and green lettuce combination..

Happy Gardening!