Single Focus Living I can’t seem to gardenblog and attend to my actual chores at the same time, so posting has been sparse. Fall is always one of the busiest times in the garden and this autumn has been spectacularly wonderful for getting things done. Which is a good thing, because I am now very slow and have been very behind. Not that this is a new condition of life! The rhythms of … [Read more...] about This Is What I’m Doing in the Garden
autumn
Display of Gourds Speaks The Language of Autumn
Brighten Up The Home With Fall Gourds Two seasons ago I bought some gourds for autumn display, "just 'cause", which lead to this years crop from the discards. I am already planning the Thanksgiving centerpiece with some of those harvested fruits of the compost pile, and it inspired this post. Gourds come in all sorts of sizes and shapes, and they were once used for practical purposes like … [Read more...] about Display of Gourds Speaks The Language of Autumn
Autumnal Sweetness
The door is closing on this growing season. To make up for the sense of loss, somehow the season has incredible sweetness. Frost has that effect on things. On fruits, on the the ground, on our souls. It is as if to placate our mournful sense that the pleasant days of fall will give way to winter's austere lessons of rest, endings, and survival. Sweet Labors I have had a few simply perfect … [Read more...] about Autumnal Sweetness
Ten Autumn Features
We are so eager for spring color that it is a cinch that our spring gardens have at least ten gorgeous garden delights to look forward to, but what about autumn? Autumn in my area is one of the loveliest times of year, with moderate temperatures, clear sunny skies, and a crisp scent in the air. It has its own beauty and if we feature some key plantings we can celebrate the fall season in our own … [Read more...] about Ten Autumn Features
Autumn Abundance Recipes
Autumn provides an abundance of certain foods ... and besides, the change of season just makes us hungry for those apple desserts and tomato-laced stews. The sweet peppers are becoming red and we all have our favorite culinary uses for those. I thought I'd share some of mine.My favorite apple cakes are the Hungarian style, which either means the not-too-sweet European type of cake or the … [Read more...] about Autumn Abundance Recipes
Savoring The Autumn
My autumn is misty and grayed in the mornings, and as I sip my coffee I view the diagonal sifting of the leaves from the overhead trees. It seems as lazy as I feel on these mornings, languid and savoring the details of my existence. The mornings have been filled with mists desaturating the colors of the Autumn blaze, but by the very contrast the upclose colors fairly vibrate. Two of the brightest … [Read more...] about Savoring The Autumn
Autumn and Orchards
Autumn in the Midwest is quintessentially apple time. Wonderful apples in abundance and sweet cider that rivals the ambrosias of the Greeks. Ok, that is a little overboard, but nothing beats apple cider from a farm market in the fall. Nothing!If you have a freezer and a good source of unadulterated cider ( no pasteurization, no preservatives} I highly recommend buying your supply, emptying out a … [Read more...] about Autumn and Orchards
Autumn, Rest and Reaping
As Hurricane Ivan pushed through the Southern states, we were grazed with some rain, wind, and cooler temperatures. Pretty normal, really, and in sharp contrast to the very harsh circumstances that so many people have to face in rebuilding their lives and homes. Sometimes it makes me feel guilty that I worry about my little problems. Like the fact that my optimism for the gardens evaporated when I … [Read more...] about Autumn, Rest and Reaping
Robert Frost ‘Storm Fear’
Storm Fear - Robert Frost: Storm Fear by: Robert Frost When the wind works against us in the dark, And pelts with snow The lowest chamber window on the east, And whispers with a sort of stifled bark, The beast, 'Come out! Come out!'-- It costs no inward struggle not to go, Ah, no! I count our strength, Two and a child, Those of us not asleep subdued to mark How the cold creeps as the … [Read more...] about Robert Frost ‘Storm Fear’