Fall in the Garden

Originally written in late Oct:

I noticed a bumper crop of cilantro this fall.  Cilantro is a cool weather annual like lettuce.  It does well early in the season, but like lettuce, bolts when the weather gets hot.  You can sometimes delay this in the garden by providing part shade, but you can't postpone it forever - it's just the nature of the plant.  It then forms its white flower heads, which eventually become seeds.  Let some seeds fall and you'll usually get a second crop when the weather begins to cool off again at the end of the season.  It took awhile for the seed to germinate this year, but with all the moisture, it's a bumper crop.  Harvest the foliage before frost and freeze for winter use.

Outside work is winding down although there's still weeding and cutting back to do.  But now, I'm working mostly in the shop, trying to get things arranged and stocked for the holidays.  It's nice to switch back and forth.  One thing I've noticed about my work habits is that I don't like to do the same thing over and over.  I worked in an office once and it was the same thing each week - same thing on Tuesdays, same thing Thursdays - I didn't care for that.  This job is great.  Very different tasks from spring through fall and winter.  Also I like the process of growing, planting, harvesting and using the things I grow. 

Our holiday open house will be December 2 and 3 from 9 -5.  We've added some interesting gift items and some new soap scents from the "sisters."  You can read about them in the newsletter coming out in November.  It also lists other great, unique gift ideas and don't forget we have lots of supplies and containers for those who make their own products and gifts.  We've had a few D.I.Y customers already.  I'm always so impressed when people start early.

It's supposed to be a bad year for pumpkins, due to all the wet weather.  Butternut squash seems to be plentiful though.  I like it a lot, and if you roast it in the oven it gets delicious.  Thyme is a perfect herb to pair with winter squash.