Tag: Fall garden chores

Tiny Beauties

Dear Liza,

As well as cleaning up and tucking in my own plot for the winter, I had a few hours of service gardening to do at the Blair Community Garden. This is how the garden is kept in good repair; everyone does a few hours here and there.

My back has been sore from too much lifting of wheelbarrows, so today I sat right down to pull weeds. And, as so often happens, I found beauty I hadn’t expected.

This tiny mushroom was perched in the middle of the path. I didn’t pull it, because it’s not a weed. I just admired it.

These statice flowers are small, and the dew drops on them are even smaller! How pretty is this?

These spurge plants, lovely as they are when sparkled with dew, had to get pulled. They will just get bigger over our warm-ish, wet winter.

After half an hour of weed pulling and picture taking, I was wet, muddy, and ready to head home. I still have a half an hour before my service hours are fulfilled, but not today.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Garden Update October 2024

Dear Liza,

Well, this summer’s growing season is over. I went to the garden yesterday and took out the mass of green that were my three tomato plants. They had overwhelmed my upright supports weeks ago, and were sort of leaning on each other.

They still had a few pounds of cherry tomatoes, especially the orange Isis Candy, but none of them were getting riper or sweeter. I picked a bunch as I cut through the tangled stems.

I took down the dahlia plants that were finished blooming and laid them on the trellis to dry. I’ll fetch them on our next dry day.

My busted wheel wagon did a good job of corralling most of the cuttings, including a fine, tall dahlia.

I covered the tomato and lettuce beds with burlap sacks to rest for the winter, and stopped before I was completely worn out.

I even got home with enough energy to put the tomatoes in to simmer for a sauce and put the dahlia in some water. Then it was time for a crossword with Grandpa Nelson.

Love,

Grandma Judy

First Autumn Chore

Dear Liza,

It is two weeks until the Fall equinox. We can see the end of summer from here.

In my garden, white powdery mildew has started taking a toll on my pumpkin plant, and because I didn’t recognize it early enough, it has spread to the zucchini. I have learned that watering too late in the day is a main cause of this, and will NOT be doing that again next year.


I did a big trimming the other day to try and minimize the damage.

I wore the rubberized gardening gloves your Mommy Olga gave me from her last visit to Russia, because they protect me from the zucchini plants, whose long, hollow stems have tiny hairs that give me an itchy rash.

I cut off leaves that had any mildew in them, so it wouldn’t continue to spread. Unfortunately, this meant cutting just about all the leaves off the pumpkin! I hope there are enough leaves to make food for the plant to let my second pumpkin finish growing!

The tub of leaves was so heavy I just barely got it home. I know there will be lots more to haul over the next few months, and I’m glad I have my trusty red wagon.

Meanwhile, I found this lovely handmade doll by a telephone pole in the neighborhood. I rescued her and perched her on my watering can, and she will be a protective spirit for my garden. I have named her Mlezi, which is the Swahili word for Guardian.

Love,

Grandma Judy