Hello, Rural Sprout readers, I was out running errands the other day, and I noticed the first few splashes of color along the hills of our valley. We had so much spongy moth damage earlier this summer that I wonder what our fall foliage will look like. Our valley was brown in June from all the
caterpillars. But the trees pushed out a second set of leaves, and now we will see what colors will show up this fall and how many of those stressed trees will survive the winter. I had big plans to extend our garden season with our little polytunnel set up this year. I pictured myself pulling radishes and snipping lettuce to go with Thanksgiving dinner. But I think that idea will be put on hold this year. Our entire growing season was a hot mess. Between late frosts and pests,
drought and then too much rain, our poor garden didnāt stand a chance. We took what we could get and didnāt fuss about the rest. Weāve been using the no-dig method of gardening for several years now, but this fall, weāve decided to till our garden rows. Too many of the same pests have been wintering over in the soil for the past couple of years. At first, this decision felt like a
failure. But the more I think about it, the less I feel that way. We tried something and need to tweak it a bitāno big deal. The appeal of gardening is how much it changes each year, no matter how long youāve been doing it. There are always new varieties of veggies to grow and new variables to consider, and Mother Nature sure doesnāt believe in reruns as far as the seasons go. As I walked around the garden contemplating what went well this
year and what didnāt, I began to make a mental list of things to change for next year, like our decision to till this fall. I was reminded of the pagan celebration of Mabon. Itās a bit like the pagan version of Thanksgiving, a celebration of the harvest. But itās also a time for reflection and letting go. Itās a time to take stock of the past year. I love the idea of this important period of reflection coinciding with the time when weāre shutting our gardens down for the season. (At least in my neck of the woods.) What better time to reflect than when things are winding down? What better time to let go of things that didnāt serve us well? This season has been a tough one for many, in and out of the garden. Take a page out of the paganās book this year. Celebrate your harvest, my friends, be it big or small. But donāt forget to let it go once youāve taken stock, in and out of the garden.
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While orchids are becoming increasingly common in garden centers (and even grocery stores!), an auraā¦
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It's never too late to leave the leaves on the ground, right where they belong. That is, unlessā¦
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Fall is here! It's time to put away your gloves, put your garden tools in the shed and call it quits.ā¦
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Fall is in the air. The garden is slowing down, and the days and nights are getting cooler. Beforeā¦
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Can you imagine eating a 9-month old apple? What do you even think that would taste like? Some peopleā¦
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Used tea leaves are pretty useful around the home and garden, so before you open the trash bin, hereā¦
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Stop letting pumpkin puree take over your freezer. Pumpkin powder is easy to make, rehydrates inā¦
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Among my friends, I'm known as a dab hand in the kitchen and garden. However, my family knows better.ā¦
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As the temperatures fall, ladybugs and stinkbugs are looking for a cozy place to overwinter. Makeā¦
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Sweet and spicy, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better union of flavors. So, it's only natural whenā¦
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