“I saw old Autumn in the misty morn…”
Thomas Hood
During the three days of heavy rain at the end of September we had an unbelievable seven inches of rain here in the valley. Greens planted in July for fall soup are coming along nicely. So far the deer haven’t found them.
Zucchini are still very productive at the point where most us couldn’t look at another zucchini. The deer are welcome to those needless to say.
I was given some bare root strawberries right at the beginning of the dry part of summer. With much watering and the aid of some row cover a few of them have survived. And have produced some runners for next year. And isn’t that what it’s all about in the garden…. things will be much better next year….
The old apple trees survived the gypsy moth invasion. A newer fruit tree doesn’t look like it’s doing very well. We will see what happens next year.
In the wild garden, several clumps of autumn crocus provide some much needed colour. I always seem to forget about them until they appear at the end of the season.
I did mange to deadhead some of phlox in the wild garden at the end of August. Some of these have produced late blooms which are also much appreciated.
I got a lot of response to the tomato tower idea. Quite a few people have tried variations of this. Apparently this is a good way to grow squash, pumpkins and cucumbers. One friend said well that’s just a neater variation of the tomatoes growing out of the compost. Maybe it is but I think I will try it anyway.
I’m still waiting for my fall energy to arrive. Fall is, of course, the real new year. Aren’t we supposed to be excited about all the projects that need to be completed before the snow flies?
After a very hot summer I’m not feeling the excitement yet. Maybe when I’ve piled some wood and the maples turn red I will feel more energized.
Happy fall everyone.
By Jill Williams
