Maybe not a bad thing

First frost is forecast for tonight. I already have weather damage to several plants and the top of the greenhouse is not yet in place. I had predicted the first frost would come early. I hate when I'm right, sometimes.

It may not be a bad thing if the frost kills off the main garden bed early. I intended to change the direction of the garden to East/West, rather than North/South, as it is now. That is, aside from building more raised beds. If the main bed gets killed off, I can dig it out and re-compost the top layers to kill off weeds and grass which invaded. While the remaining plant material would enrich the compost more. That would give me enough material to use for four compost pits, one for each corner of the greenhouse and enable me to really ramp up on the compost heating experiment.  Even more so when mixed with the leaves from the trees and normal kitchen waste.

That design will look more attractive, any way. I had started the garden without all that much thought or knowledge. The placement and direction was decided on mostly because it was most convenient at the time, with few tools available. I have more tools now and more knowledge. The East/West direction will enable me to place taller plants, such as corn, further to the south or in alternating rows/beds, allowing for more shade in summer months to shorter and more heat-sensitive crops. I also want to look into what kind of vines will grow in this environment, so I can grow vines along some support structures, making for even more shade. Mostly, I want to look into grapes and hops. Biggest question is which ones will survive and produce here.