September 28, 2018
The dragonflies are scarce now, the end of summer is nigh. I miss them already, as I will all the flying insects. The garden has taught me that I am a process as well as a product. Being "in the moment" involves awareness of all of our senses at the same time. It's like multitasking and yet being still..
Insects are a constant, yet welcome, interruption of our thoughts, and help us change focus from being, to observing. Discovery is still my most cherished experience, and there are plenty of opportunities for it in my garden. The Brussels sprouts that I thought about pulling out are now shading the last planting of beets, slowing them down so they won't be too big to overwinter. I've cut their water back and it looks like a Yea!..
September 29, 2018
Early October is when we can start harvesting our horseradish roots. You can just dig a few at a time throughout the winter instead of getting them all at once. Keep in mind that every root you leave behind will form a new plant, and you can end up with a horseradish patch like mine. I threw some thinnings in the bushes behind the grape vines last year and they regrew. They got ignored and still thrived. That's probably why they say you can't get rid of horseradish once you plant it..
This is also the time when the black walnuts begin to lose their leaves. They've turned bright yellow and are covering the grass. They will be a welcome addition to the garden pathways, but will not be allowed in the planting areas. There are chemicals in them that inhibit plant growth..
September 30, 2018
It's been a banner year for acorns. There are so many lying on the ground that I feel like I should pick them up so they don't go to waste. I have to keep telling myself that nothing goes to waste in nature. If there are too many for the squirrels then the crows can have some. If they get stepped on the mice and sparrows can feast. What they leave behind is pulverized enough for insects to consume..
The soil organisms get the rest, perhaps the most important member of the food chain. I was saddened one day when I couldn't save a baby deer from heat stroke. The next day the turkey vultures were devouring it. I realized that I enjoy seeing turkey vultures soaring overhead every day, and the deer now gets remembered whenever I see them..
