Alex D.
The leaves start to change yellow around mid August, but the change is imperceptible because the summer air is still warm autumn still seems so far away. The weeds have calmed down and the harvest just about to begin. After all the produce has been preserved there doesn't seem to be much left to do in the garden and it is easy to just sit back and wait for the snow to start to fall. However, there is still plenty of work to do in the gardens, and I am not just talking about chores.
This year we planted two new fall bulbs: garlic and tulip. It is so rewarding to have those first greens shoot out of the ground in spring long before any of the seeds have been sown. The garlic we picked up from my Grandfather in Peachland, Okanagan. I really enjoy bringing back some of his hardier seeds to grow in our zone 3 yard, because I like to imagine that the food I grow and cook might taste more like the food they cook. Almost, like I can spice my food with nostalgia and fond memories. Although I try to avoid planting non-native flowers in our garden beds, this year I could resist planting was colouring spring bulbs. After a long cold winter, early blooms can help lift the frost off the bones and welcome us back outdoors. I haven't planted bulbs before and I think I may have planted them a little late in the season.
Another hidden treasure of autumn is collecting seeds. I have collected Golden Rod and Wild Aster seeds. I will go looking for the Monkshood seeds this upcoming weekend. All summer we collection marigold, chive, and nasturtium seeds. We also grabbed the seeds from the peppers. We see a lot of worth in drying and setting aside the seeds of our veggies and flowers to save a little cash in the spring time.
We also have a little nursery of Douglas Fir trees. We just transplanted them into larger pots and will keep the soil saturated with water until frost. We have them tucked behind a fence to protect them from the bitter wind.
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