I’M PRETTY SURE I CAN pack enough summer into jars to get me through the dark days, or at least I’m trying. What’s your tactic for pretending the days aren’t getting shorter fast? (Thanks to dear Andre Jordan for his wealth of garden doodles.)
I WATCHED A ZOOM lecture the other day that really put into words a lot of the ways my own deepening understanding of ecology is shaking up the way I practice horticulture—from spring cleanup, right on to the last chore of the active year. The lecturer was Rebecca McMackin, director of horticulture for Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York City, where she leads the team that manages 85 acres of diverse parkland with a central focus on habitat creation of woodlands, wetlands, and meadows to build soils and support birds, butterflies, and other organisms.
We talked about the dynamic tactics they use and when and why–a whole different approach to spring cleanup, where the life cycles of animals (from insects on up) dictate what happens when, garden maintenance-wise. Like why some things don’t get cut back, and others that are still seed-laden when they do have their seeds collected and set aside, then returned to the spot after whatever cleanup is needed there.
(Stream it below, read the illustrated transcript or subscribe free.)
A lovely doodle…can he do one of me pushing away the heat of summer? ;)
I prepare beds for spring planting now including doing a seed inventory. This way winter is perceived as a long weekend. :-)
Here in the deep south we look forward to the cooler weather. But with the shorter days – especially when daylight savings time comes around – we get cheated. By the time one gets home from work it’s too dark to play in the garden!
On weekends, I’ll start cleaning out the greenhouse and making room for cuttings and seedlings to be ready for spring planting.
I made some pear butter with the small crop of pears my tree produced this year; it tastes great on toast with peanut butter. I also put in some orange mums in planters by my door. I know the mums won’t last, but they help me accept the changing of the seasons. I have yet to try pickles, maybe next year!