It’s mid-October and Fall has arrive in the mid-Atlantic, with all her glorious colors. As the night-time temperatures drop, gardeners everywhere are consulting the 14-day forecast. Autumn in the garden is a time to slow down a little after the summer garden has given you her best.
I always find Autumn is mixed with different emotions, a little sadness and a little relief. I’m grateful for a time to slow down, but I know I will miss the daily puttering in the garden. My mind is already in January, when I can start some onions. But for today, I’m wondering, do I have enough row cover for the lettuces and brassicas, for those first few frosts? Can I eek out a few more tomatoes and beans?
Many of my bedraggled summer veggies are spent and can give no more. Some of them continue blossoming and doing their best, unaware that a killing frost can happen any day now.
The Four Seasons of Gardening
One of the things I love about gardening in the Mid-Atlantic region is the four seasons. As the seasons change, the scenery around us changes. While I love the vibrant greens of summer, the colors of yellow, rust and red in the leaves of the trees is a breathtaking sight. Autumn in the garden is a time to slow the pace and enjoy a different view.
Incidentally, if you are planning on doing some leaf-peeping, I found a useful interactive fall foliage prediction map. You can find the predicted peak for 2023.
As the weeks go by, winter will arrive. A serene winter snow has a beauty all it’s own. These are restful scenes to a gardener. Winter is the perfect time to catch up on some homey crafts, or to bake some goodies. Certainly for most of us, something got neglected during the height of garden season!
But spring is right around the corner, I tell myself. Before you know it, it will be time for starting seeds. The garden journal is open and the plans for next year have already begun.
The Garden is A Journey
Year after year I’m reminded that gardening is not a place, not an event, but a journey. Every year is different. The weather may or may not cooperate with my plans for spring, or summer. Who knows? Every year is a new adventure. New seeds to try, new recipes, and new knowledge to seek.
