A Beautiful and Unexpected Morning in the Garden
Today was one of those magical mornings on the homestead — the kind where the garden surprises you in the best possible way. I headed outside intending to pull the last of the fading plants, but instead I was greeted by something I never expected to see in late November: big, beautiful, wonderfully flavorful strawberries.
Yes… in November!
It’s moments like these that remind me why I love homesteading so much. The garden always has one more story to tell, even when you think the season has wrapped up.
Strawberries in Late November? Absolutely!
Who would have thought it? In the final days of November, tucked beneath fading leaves, were plump, bright red strawberries — sweet, fragrant, and full of flavor.
Strawberries can sometimes surprise gardeners when weather conditions are just right. With cooler temps, fewer pests, and gentle sunlight, fall strawberries can flourish long after summer ends.
Fall-bearing or day-neutral varieties, in particular, can continue producing well into autumn as long as frost stays mild.
Late-season berries feel like a little gift from the garden, and today they were exactly that.
The Second Potato Harvest That Almost Didn’t Happen
Some of today’s excitement came from another unexpected corner of the garden — the second round of potatoes that I harvested.
Back in September, I pulled our main crop of red, Yukon gold, and purple potatoes. While digging through the soil, I noticed several small potatoes that had already sprouted and begun growing new plants on their own.
In a moment of curiosity (and a bit of homesteader instinct), I thought:
“Let’s see what happens.”
Instead of tossing or composting them, I replanted those sprouted tubers to give them a chance…
And today, we reaped the reward!
A beautiful, healthy second harvest of potatoes — completely unexpected and incredibly satisfying.
It turns out that taking a chance in the garden can lead to delicious surprises.
The Joy of Experimentation on the Homestead
One of my favorite things about gardening — especially on a homestead — is that not everything has to follow the “rules.” Some of the best harvests and most exciting moments come from saying:
“Why not?”
“Let’s try it.”
“What’s the worst that could happen?”
That’s how today happened.
A spare patch of soil, a few sprouted potatoes, some lingering strawberry plants — and suddenly we were tasting summer sweetness and pulling up colorful potatoes in the cold air of November.
Experimentation builds confidence and connection in the garden. You learn to trust your instincts, embrace curiosity, and celebrate every little miracle the earth gives you.
Moments Like These Are What Homesteading Is All About
Standing there this morning, holding fresh strawberries in one hand and late-season potatoes in the other, I couldn’t help but smile. These small victories — these surprises — are what make every early morning, every garden chore, and every gamble worth it.
Late November may signal the end of the growing year, but today the garden reminded me that it still has a few surprises left.
And I couldn’t be happier.
Leave a Reply