Turning leaves and a feeling of je ne sais quoi.
THERE’S NO TIME TO DAWDLE, FOR THE FIRST FROSTS ARE APPROACHING.
TIME TO MAKE LIKE THE SQUIRRELS, BUT IN A MORE ORGANIZED FASHION.
IN THE HERB GARDEN
Trim back unruly perennials. Remove spent annuals. The hardy herbs are loving this weather and as the root crops come forth in the vegetable garden, these herbs are much appreciated. Dig up some lavender, parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme to bring inside to the kitchen windowsill. Some mint and chives would round out the lineup. Bring in any tender plants, such as bay tree, kaffir lime, curry leaf, and citrus trees.
IN THE VEGETABLE GARDEN
Plant garlic, French grey shallots, Egyptian walking onions, saffron crocus, rhubarb, and Jerusalem artichokes. Before the first frost harvest the remaining tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant and compost the plant residue. Wait to harvest broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and collards until after the first few frosts for sweeter brassicas. Your salads greens will be more flavorful and colorful, too.
IN THE FLOWER GARDEN
Plant spring flowering bulbs. Pot up tulip, crocus, hyacinth, and daffodil bulbs for indoors.
Dig up and store tender bulbs, corms, and rhizomes. Cut back spent plants. Cut back lavatera, buddleia. Trim privet and boxwood.
Look for 50-75% off sales on perennials, trees, and shrubs. They can be planted for up to 6 weeks before the ground freezes.
HARVEST/MARKET
Green tomatoes, beets, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Jerusalem artichoke, leeks, onions, broccoli, collards, spinach, dried, beans, rice, rutabaga, celery root, turnips, radicchio, winter squash, pumpkins, kale, kohlrabi, horseradish, carrots, salad greens, squash, Swiss chard, ginger, apples, pears, Asian pears, herbs, and zinnias, sunflowers, mums, ornamental cabbage, pumpkins, and gourds.
INTO THE WOODS
Black walnuts, chestnuts, and mushrooms. Gather vines, leaves, twigs, moss, wild rose hips, bittersweet, acorns, staghorn sumac, and your neighbors hydrangea flowers for fall decorating.
IN THE KITCHEN
Preserve the rest of the harvest.
Store winter squash in a cool, dark place. Under the bed in an unheated guest bedroom is looking good. What to do with the guest, though?
Crystallize ginger.
Dry beans and freeze for 24 hours to kill weevils.
Make pies, furiously.
Seasonal Recipes
Quinoa Patties Stuffed Squash Red Lentil Soup Raspberry Cheesecake
Mushroom Frittata Brownies Green Tea Kumquats