What good has Fall brought? While we are pinned to news about the middle east, there are
celebratory things – cooler weather, fall colors, my winter garden. We survived a month of 117 degree days in July. As we sweated through August I started looking at the Burpee website where I get most of my vegetable seeds. Green is good. I pictured the beets, chard, cilantro, lettuce, radishes, the broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage that would grow in my garden.
Psychologically, green is associated with abundance and freshness. It is relaxing. Green means growing things. Think of the economy and audacity of seeds and the goodness that comes in small packages.
My garden is now growing all of those things. And in the grow boxes near the house, what I call my kitchen garden, I have winter tomatoes that I sprouted under grow lights because I wanted select varieties; and herbs—parsley, basil, thyme (I’ve begun adding thyme to beans), arugula and lettuce. In Arizona, it’s too hot in July and August to grow anything. But in September I get ready, and in October, I plant.
Five years ago, Dwight and I went to Mittleider boot camp in Missouri where we learned how to water with PVC pipe, how to fertilize with pre-mix and weekly feed, and how to harvest a bountiful crop of vegetables. I recommend it –particularly the methods of fertilizing (Website: Growfood.com/shop/). We use the Mittleider method of gardening as much as possible.
To my collection of garden tools I’ve added a star – a miniature hula hoe. The handle is only 14 inches long and the blade is four inches wide. It’s great for grow boxes and can be purchased on Amazon.
Some of my October gifts:
Our oldest son’s birthday
My mother’s birthday
2 Sister-law’s birthdays
Fall break
Sweet weather for walking, hiking, being outdoors
Cool enough evenings to make soup