Tagged: Autumn Garden

Beneficial Insects / Birds / Fall / Garden Maintenance / Gardening on the Wild Side: Working in Harmony with Nature / Wildlife Gardening / Winter

 by Wendy Hamrick, Master Gardener, Class of 2017

Wild Thing, You Make My Heart Sing!

While we are preparing our homes, vehicles, and closets for the cold winter season ahead, let’s not forget about our wildlife friends that bring us so much joy during the more temperate months.  Over the next 90 to 120 days, they will endure bone-chilling winds, frozen ground, and limited access to fresh water or easy foraging.  It is time to get up off the couch and winterize your backyard for their benefit. The most susceptible of our critters, particularly those...

Edible Plants / Fall / Food Forest / Gardening on the Wild Side: Working in Harmony with Nature / Native Plants / Native Trees / Permaculture / Sustainable Gardening

 by Elizabeth McCoy

Foraging for Autumn Harvests

  Have you ever noticed how the strawberries you pick yourself on a warm May afternoon taste much better than the huge red berries you buy at the grocery store?  Everyone who has grown their own tomatoes, lettuce, or apples knows how much better homegrown food can taste.  You still need to be selective about what seeds you buy because some varieties of carrots and squash taste better than others, and some prove more resistant to disease. Putting in a...

Beneficial Insects / Birds / Carbon Garden / Deer / Ferns / Garden Design / Garden Maintenance / Gardening on the Wild Side: Working in Harmony with Nature / Larval Host Plants / Lepidoptera / Native Plants / Ornamental Shrubs / Perennial Care / Permaculture / Soil Conservation / Sustainable Gardening / Wildlife Gardening

 by Elizabeth McCoy

Working With Nature to Put the Garden to Bed

  “Leave it be.”  Words I heard with some frequency growing up…. This simple bit of advice may be just the wisdom we need whether baking, navigating relationships, or preparing the garden for winter.  “Leave it be” insists that we quiet our urge to interfere with natural processes.  It asks us to step back and observe; to allow for a solution to unfold on its own. Some gardeners feel compelled to tidy up the leaves and sticks as they fall,...