Inside the Fall 2017 Issue!
We are heading into the most demanding time of year for fruit or vegetable growers. At least I find this the hardest—planting season is its own issue, watching the moon cycles, the weather reports and juggling schedules to get your garden in at the best possible time to optimize growing time and prevent risk of frost or hail damage—but harvest time is far touchier.
If you miss the window, all of your planting, watering and weeding efforts go down the drain. When the fruits and veggies are ready, they’re ready, and there’s not much wiggle room when it comes to scheduling. Or, when frost is coming, you drop everything and get out there. Of all the months of the year, I’m most likely to be sleep deprived from late nights in the kitchen processing tomatoes, apples, plums, herbs … whatever happens to ripen on that given day.
But the fruits of our labour, pardon the pun, are so worth it when winter rolls around and we enjoy fresh-tasting tomato sauce or frozen veggies. You know that you are feeding yourself and your family (and possibly all your friends and neighbours, if you went a little overboard on seeding). Bless those people who share their bounty with others in their lives!
In between dead-heading, fall prep or food processing, I hope you can find time to read about flowers and edibles you may want to plant this fall or put on your list for next year. Daffodil bulbs can go in the ground in the next couple of months, for example. The National Garden Bureau named 2017 the Year of the Daffodil, so if you don’t have any in your garden palette, now is the time.
We also cover favourite edibles this issue: learn how to store the root vegetables you’re harvesting now, and think about which ones you want to plant for next year. Delve more deeply into the nightshade family, which offers so many options, both in the garden and on your supper table.
We also approach landscape design—think about some of the design principles that might already apply to your garden and ways you can make them work for you even more.
So much to think about this fall … in all your spare time. Happy harvest!
Nightshades,
Microclimates,
Root Vegetables and more!
