|
|
|
Greetings, and welcome to the new subscribers!
|
This is the time of year when we wonder when the first frost will hit. Early? Late? October? Will there be a killing frost then unusually warm weather for six weeks after that? September is the month to get ready to harvest what you can and cover the rest in the event of frost.
|
|
|
|
Shutting Things Down
|
I've already put one of my beds to sleep for the winter. The grasshoppers decimated the lettuce. I mean, seriously. They devoured beautiful, healthy green leaf lettuce plants down to nubs seemingly overnight.The cabbage loopers ruined the two red cabbage plants in the same bed. They struggled to get established with the drought and heat of June, then thrived in the July rain only to be chewed to bits by loopers. I pulled up all the plants, put down a healthy layer of compost, and covered it with a heavy mulch of straw. I tossed in a few sweet pea seed pods, because they'll reseed there. See you in the spring!
|
|
|
|
I think this was the worst bed I've ever had! I surrendered. Next summer I'll have flowers in here. Read on.
|
|
I've harvested all my dry beans for food and seed. Those vines will get cut back to leave the roots in the soil, and the beds will also get compost and mulch for winter.
|
The broccoli hasn't done well all summer, and now the plants are being demolished by harlequin bugs. I think I'll cut them cut down, send them to the dump in garbage bags, and put that bed to sleep for winter, too.
|
I harvested my tomatoes, and am waiting on the jalapeños to turn red. I'll pick them and put them in a paper bag to finish drying inside.
|
|
I'm letting some of the zinnias go to seed. There are beautiful colors that must have come in a mix, and I want to save them. The four o'clocks will reseed as will the cosmos. I'm letting the scabiosa make its unique seed pods for dried arrangements. I hope frost holds off so the flowers can keep going for a while. The vegetables were almost a total bust this year, but the flowers more than made up for it!
|
|
|
|
Four Corners Gold and Cannellini beans will be for soup, refries, and chili. Gold of Bacau is for seed for more pole beans next year and for sharing.
|
|
|
|
Making Plans for Next Year's Garden
The flowers were fantastic this year, as I've said a million times. I could sort of see them from the house, so for next year, I'm putting them into beds where the show will be on full display from inside. The tucked-in bed above is in perfect view of the big picture window in the kitchen, so I'll stuff it with flowers. Same with the broccoli bed, which is the most visible.
|
I'm always thinking of next year when I'm gardening. What's working here? What's not? What needs more light, or less? What does the yard need? What do I want to experiment with?
|
I've had some trees and shrubs in the ground for a couple of years now. I'll be moving them this month, partly because they might be better suited to a new location, but also because they're not doing their job. One is a hedge plant that needs to be closer to the house to actually work. So there are a lot of reasons for shuffling plants around, but now is the time to do it. Don't wait until October. September is the perfect time for transplanting so roots can be established before the ground freezes. And as I write this, it's raining - no better time for planting!
|
|
And yes, I wrote all this shit down!
|
|
|
|
|
September Tasks
Aside from what I've said I'm doing this month, there are a couple more things.
|
When you clean up your garden, DON'T! Leave flower stalks for the birds to nosh on and insects to overwinter in. All that dead plant matter also adds visual interest when it snows and when the low sun casts long shadows.
|
You may be able to do one more seeding of cool weather greens. The latest I've ever planted was early September and I harvested into November. Everything was protected by row cover but was eventually crushed by a heavy wet snow. With sturdier protection, I could have avoided that disaster.
|
|
Start attracting winter birds. Clean out your feeders and nesting pockets. Most birds do well with black oil sunflower seed, but the ones who eat insects love suet, peanuts, and peanut butter, too.
|
|
|
|
What's in Store
I'm writing again. Putting together and marketing a book entails very little writing. My book was a compilation of past articles, but it wasn't anything new. I haven't written anything of substance since 2020 and covid, when the Taos News wasn't able to pay us. It was the first time in over 10 years I hadn't cranked out something or several somethings every month. The break was nice, but writers have to write.
|
In Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, the theme is reciprocity. The world is a gift to us, and we are obligated to respond with our own gift. I think my gift is writing, and I'm happy to send it out there, not seeking a response or kudos, but just to share it. It's lovely if you resonate with it, and lovely if you don't.
|
I started a Substack called Backstories and Brain Chatter. It's essays, not garden how-to, although that might get thrown in since it's such a big part of me. Subscribe on Substack to get notifications in email or the app.
|
My collage ladies are now greeting cards! I call them Earth Mamas. They're 5x7 one-of-a-kind collages with floral backgrounds. They're printed on semi-gloss paper and are blank inside for your own message. I've got 10 ready for sale and am working on more. I'm not keeping them in stock just yet, so please order here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sponsored content from a trusted local resource. I use these products myself!
|
|
|
|
|
THE NEW BOOK!
|
The 2nd edition of The Book is available from UNM Press. You can also get a copy at Moxie, Earthgoods, Gutiz, Petree's, op.cit. Books, Barnes and Noble in Santa Fe and always from me. If you see it somewhere else, let me know! It's not too early to think about holiday shopping, either.
|
|
If you're a retailer and would like to carry The New Book, please call Longleaf Services to open a tax-exempt account at 1-800-848-6224, then press 1 for customer service. They'll set you right up! Thanks!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Merch Sales!
There is a limited supply of Renee's Garden Scatter Cans at Earthgoods for $10! Seeds are a welcome holiday gift in a season when gardeners are forgotten about.
|
|
T-shirts are $12, available from me. All cotton, L and XL in men's and women's sizes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Please forward this email in its entirety. All rights reserved.
|
|
If you received this newsletter from a gardening friend who loves you, you can subscribe here to get your own copy!
|
|
|
Ads are $25/mo with a 6-month commitment. One-time placement is $30. The newsletter goes out on the first weekend of the month. You provide artwork, and I link to your website or event page. Contact me for more information. Thanks!
|
|
|
|
|