Fall Gardens – Autumn Murmurs
I know from years of experience that working in the fall garden is like an insurance for the spring season.
Fall Gardens: Final Autumn Murmurs
By late October, the tourists or what we call “leaf-peepers” are gone. They love to come and take pictures ad infinitum of the lovely red, orange, and yellow maples leave and experience the hues and glow of the autumn colors. They also tie up traffic.
By late October, the hard-and softwood leaves take on the look of washed-out watercolors, sort of like grandma’s tattered comforter. They eventually rest on the forest floor. Only the yellow needle-like leaves of the tamarack (larch) and the green needles of the firs and other conifers are left standing. A late cold October sun shining through them is a glory to behold. It almost makes the other gray; raw days seem bearable.
November is a quiet time, a period in between, space where we wait for the snows to come. In the year 2000, we had three inches of snow on October 29, but that was early and only stayed for a day. The folks that live in the higher elevations and the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont always experience colder fall temperature, earlier snows and longer winters than I do in the warmer Lake Champlain valley.
November is the last time of the year to finish garden chores unless you are one of those non-stop gardeners who grow greens in their greenhouse all winter. My energy level begins to wane, but there are a couple more tasks to complete. I cover some of my raised beds with leaves so the earthworms can have a good meal, pick that sweet brussels sprouts, cut off some kale orchard and dig beets and carrots.
Many root cellars are full, my pantry is packed with canning jars full of summer’s bounty, and the cold frame still has some fall greens waiting to be picked. The compost has been spread and dug into my garden. It’s comforting to know that the garden has been laid to rest. The Canadian Geese or what we call honkers have now flown south and at last, there ain’t no more weeding to do. Perhaps, I’ll sit in the easy chair next to the woodstove and think back to early spring when the first seeds germinated, and the young green plants grew in summer and finally produced their fruits in fall. There is much to be thankful for.
I know from years of experience that working in the fall garden is like an insurance for the spring season. I temper this with the idea that even though the gardening season is complete, the end is just another beginning. Of course, some tasks do not get done like the sumac patch that continued to grow and further its expansion. However, that’s okay. Sometimes we forget that the strong red hues of the sumac add glory to the symphony of autumn colors.
I make applesauce and start carving pumpkins and roasting the seeds on the woodstove for Halloween or what some call, All Hallows’ Evening. After the pumpkin festival is over, a great autumn event festival unique to North America arrives. Thanksgiving is a special holiday in New England for this is where the Native Americans shared their gifts with the “newcomers” and the rest of the world.
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About the Author
Ron Krupp, teacher, writer, entrepreneur, and community organizer has been farming and gardening in Vermont for more than thirty years. He has a master’s degree in teaching from Antioch University and a master’s degree in agriculture from the University of Vermont. He studied biodynamic gardening and farming at Emerson College, U.K. In the 80’s he edited The Green Mountain Farmer. In the mid 90’s he had a garden column in The Vermont Times and a garden commentary show on Vermont Public Radio. He is a frequent guest for features on the Vermont Public Broadcasting System and does garden and farm commentaries. His book The Woodchuck’s Guide to Gardening is going into its tenth printing revised 2013 with over 20,000 books sold). His second book titled Lifting the Yoke: Local Solutions to America’s Farm and Food Crisis is in its second printing. He is working on a third book titled The Woodchuck Returns to Gardening
