We moved into our new house this spring, and because of all the hustle and bustle there was no time for a big family garden. All we were able to cultivate was a raised bed with a few tomatoes and some parsley.
Both are growing well, and it’s nice to have such a tiny little garden to tend to for a change, but then again – I do like to have more things to harvest at the end of summer. Who doesn’t? But we’ll have to wait until the next growing season for bright summer squash and zucchini, plump melons and crispy sweet corn.
Jeremiah did find time to go ahead and till up the garden plot, and he built a nice little compost pile.
Since we’re fairly sure this land was heavily farmed before the house was built, we wanted to give our newly tilled plot a little boost. Jeremiah bought the “Fall Green Manure Mix” from Johnny Seeds for nitrogen fixation. Ideal for planting in late summer or fall, this seed mix contains rye, field peas, rye grass, clover and vetch. It will help protect against erosion this winter and provide good soil cover.
When my tomatoes give out, I’ll be planting some cool weather veggies like kale and spinach. Dark leafy greens thrive in cool weather, and some (like Mache) will even grow in the snow! Kale and spinach are perfect for making hearty and nutritious soups for crisp fall and winter nights.
Fall has always been an ideal time for planting bulbs, so if you love lilies, tulips, irises and other beauties, this is a good time to get them in the ground and establishing good roots. If you’re looking for low-maintenance perennials to fill up a bed, my favorites are hosta and sedum. Other reliable varieties: Yarrow, Russian sage, coneflowers and peonies.
It’s a great time to work on landscape and design, too. With coolers temperatures, you don’t have to worry about sweating buckets while hauling rocks, stones and big bags of mulch.
If you’re still not convinced, here are a few great reasons to keep on gardening, even after summer’s over:
- Plant nurseries start slashing their prices on both plants and tools
- All those leaves that are falling to the ground make great compost
- Look for old or discounted straw bales, or hit up people for decorative bales that don’t look good anymore; they make great mulch or compost
- There’s less work and maintenance required with fall crops, and it feels so much nicer outside!
Fall where I live is pretty non existent. We go from summer to winter really quickly and winter is COLD. I do know a few people have greenhouses that allow them to keep gardening in the spring and the fall. If we ever get on an acreage I plan to try it.
I would love to have a greenhouse, too, Rachel! Midwest weathers can be harsh and there are certain veggies I love that just don’t do well in this dry, windy climate. ~Anne
i finally got around to putting in our garden & raised bed this year- our third year in our ‘new’ home- and didn’t do too well with our spring crops, but things are still growing- i planted four tomato plants grown by a friend, three pepper plants and a host of seeds old and new.. i just now have some lettuce and carrots starting to come up, and arugula and a teeny tiny kale plant, plus two cucumbers and an unknown squash just made appearances recently too! 🙂 mostly my garden is overrun with datura, which apparently grows like weeds- i had bought a plant from a nursery a few years back & saved the seeds, which my husband sprinkled in last year’s garden plot and this year was everywhere! i had used a few bucketfuls of that soil to fill in our raised bed this year, so that’s where they came from! 😀 not edible, but they have some amazingly beautiful & fragrant flowers! i’m planning on heading out there soon to plant some greens for the fall- especially after reading this! 🙂 thanks for the inspiration! i’ll have to check out mache- it looks tender & yummy- a little like bok choi, which bombed (yet went to seed, so we’ll see for the fall) this season!
fun stuff! 🙂
Johnny Seeds has a variety of mache called Vit which is hearty and vigorous. The Datura you mention is a lovely flower! After you commented I checked the wiki on it and learned it’s in the same family as Deadly Nightshade and Henbane, or the plants commonly known as “Witches Weeds.” I never knew it contained hallucinogens. Pretty wild stuff! ~Anne
One of my favorite vegetables to plant in the fall is garlic. A 4×8 foot bed faithfully provides enough garlic for my family of 3 with this member of the onion family for an entire year both for using fresh and for canning. I have grown it in southern Missouri and in Northern Pennsylvania. I plant my garlic when I plant your daffodil and tulip bulbs.
I’ve never thought of garlic! That’s a great idea and we use lots of it in the kitchen. Thanks for posting, Cygnet! ~Anne
by the way, what did you make your ‘composter’ out of? i’ve been trying to figure out what to do in our yard, and something like that looks perfect! 🙂
We used t-posts from the hardware store, some scrap pieces of white plywood and a piece of cattle panel cut to size. ~Anne
Some day I hope to set up a green house in my backyard. I would love to garden year-round. We do have pretty late falls here. Unfortunately, I do not have good light in my house, and growing inside always resulted in dead plants.
Houseplants are tricky for me, too, Heather. Our problem is extreme dryness. However, I have been able to successfully keep my philodendron and cactus going strong. For low light (even in a basement or curtained room) you might try pothos, the “cast iron” plant or even the ever-popular Peace Lily. ~Anne
Thanks for the inspiration! I just discovered kale and would love to grow some. We’ve tried square foot gardening a few times with minimal success, but perhaps we need to try again.
I’ve read a lot about square foot gardening but never tried it yet. It seems so practical. I also like the idea of patio gardening. ~Anne
I think gardening is therapy for the soul. I only had a fake garden when I lived in the city but I loved it nevertheless. Spinach is my favorite vegetable by the way… Thank you for this very interesting post!
Yes, it IS like therapy, Eszter! I’m tired and sore after gardening, but it feels GREAT and I love looking at the fruits of my labor. ~Anne
We have had great success with greens in the fall. I love harvesting fresh food in cool weather!