Even in October, the garden is still producing. Some of the broccoli has been pulled (in foreground) , but some remains and continues to be harvested along with tomatoes, eggplants, and cabbage..

...and peppers.

These small, very hot peppers will soon all be bright red.

Chestnuts are falling from the large tree in the front yard. The outer pods are so spiny that it's almost impossible to remove them with bare hands. It's best to step on them with shoes and open them between two feet. Marietta's granddaughter knew this technique and quickly gathered several bags of the nuts.

Red raspberries are one of several fruits ripening.

Persimmon are beginning to ripen, but will still need to mature for several more weeks before they are ready to pick.

The fig crop has slowed, but they continue to ripen and Marietta picked a dozen during our visit.

Marietta is looking for figs to share.

The bamboo bean and tomato supports are now stored behind the garage.

Escarole has been planted along the walkway and rapini has been seeded and the seedlings are beginning to emerge (left edge of photo).

Escarole (called scarola in Italian) is a cool season green whose taste improves after a light frost.

Rapini seedlings emerge

Beautiful dahlias can be found throughout the property.

Dahlia

Parsley

Marietta allowed this cornstalk to grow where a bird feeder hung last year. A corn kernel fell and sprouted. Marietta told us about when she was young in Italy, the leaves from the stalks of corn were used to stuff a kind of mattress that was used like our box spring mattresses.