The Big Autumn Harvest …
Clearing Out Without Losing Abundance
I stepped outside this morning and the garden greeted me with that unmistakable shift in the air. The breeze carried a damp, earthy scent. The tomato leaves looked a little tired, the bean pods rattled in the wind, and my fingers were already chilly by the time I clipped the first cucumber. Autumn had arrived — not gradually, but all at once.
my big autumn harvest
The forecast confirms what the garden already knows: nights dipping below 10°C, days that barely reach 13–15°C, and enough rain and wind to send us reaching for woolly socks. For our Tiny Gardens, that can only mean one thing: it’s time for the big autumn harvest.
But let me say this upfront — it isn’t the end. It’s the reset button.
What to Harvest Before the Cold Sets In
Tomatoes, Peppers & Chillis
Anything with even a hint of blush — take it. Indoors, tomatoes will still ripen happily on a sunny windowsill. Peppers and chillis don’t mind being eaten green at all; in fact, sliced thinly and sautéed quickly with garlic, they bring a bright, grassy flavor to pasta or stir-fry. Once picked, pull the plants and top the bed or pot with a scoop of compost — it’s like refreshing the stage before the next act.
Cucumbers & Courgettes
Gather them all, even the tiny ones hiding under leaves. I like to pickle the baby cucumbers with dill and mustard seeds, ready for sandwiches or a snack with cheese. Courgettes, even small, can be grated into a quick fritter batter with herbs. Don’t wait — the chill will turn their skins leathery and their insides mushy.
Beans
Pods of all sizes should come in now. Fresh beans are wonderful steamed and tossed with butter, but this is also the time to freeze a few batches or let some dry completely for winter soups. Think ahead: on a dark November evening, that jar of dried beans feels like treasure.
A Little Chef’s Trick for Green Tomatoes
Not every tomato will cooperate with the calendar. Green stragglers are normal. Place them in a bowl with a banana or apple — the ethylene gas speeds ripening.
And if they refuse? Don’t waste them. Slice them, dip them in a little cornmeal, and fry until golden. Add a sprinkle of sea salt and you’ll understand why Southerners never complain about unripe tomatoes.
Clear, But Don’t Strip
When the plants are gone, resist the urge to leave the soil bare. Add a generous layer of compost. It replenishes nutrients, softens the soil, and invites worms to do their underground work. I like to think of it as tucking my garden in under a warm blanket, whispering: “Rest now, but be ready.”
Preserving Autumn’s Gift
This last harvest is generous. With just an afternoon in the kitchen, you can stretch it deep into winter:
Pickle: tiny cucumbers or courgettes in vinegar, dill, mustard seeds.
Roast & Freeze: peppers and chillies, charred until their skins blister, peeled, and stored in olive oil.
Soup Base: beans, courgettes, onions simmered together, then frozen in small containers — ready to become instant comfort food.
Cooking with your own preserved harvest in December tastes different. It carries the memory of sunshine.
The Harvest Mindset
It’s easy to feel a little sad pulling out tomato vines that carried you through summer. But look closer: this isn’t loss. It’s transition. Autumn in the garden is like taking a deep breath before the next season.
While you clear, remember you’re also making space — for carrots that sweeten in frost, for kale that gets richer with the chill, for spinach that laughs at short days. And even for the slower rhythm that comes when the garden no longer shouts for attention every morning.
Takeaway
This week, when you fill your basket for the last time with cucumbers, beans, and those half-blushing tomatoes, don’t think of what’s over. Think of what you’re inviting in.
Your Tiny Garden isn’t ending — it’s evolving. And you, standing there with muddy boots and a basket full of colour, are part of that cycle.
So pull on your gloves, grab your scissors, and step outside. September’s chill isn’t closure — it’s the beginning of something else.
Stay tuned for our next article about The Crops That Love Autumn. Or even better subscribe to our newsletter so you never miss out again.
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