This is my favorite time of year. I know that it is a blessing that I have the luxury of taking walks on these brisk days amongst glorious fall color and that I don’t feel extra pressure around the holidays. My work load has always been light now and I like to spend time with Mother Nature. It feels like she is dozing off now, full, content and relaxed, after a long year of growth.

I’m struck by the beauty in my little garden too. The other morning big, glistening dew drops on some broccoli leaves made me do a double take. They sat like large round clear jewels balancing there.

My asparagus ferns are brilliant gold and the first of the tiny Johnny Jump up volunteers have started blooming.

If I’m home during the brief afternoon warm spells I go stand in the garden to soak up the sun and observe closely. It was thrilling to see the first garlic poking up a week or so ago, but disappointing that the leaf miners seem to be having a final (we hope) population explosion of the year. Invaded leaves or leaf parts get picked off and go in the green waste container.

We each have our own perceptions of beauty. It is tempting for the fall clean-up to include cutting back the old bloom stalks of herbs and perennial flowers to keep the garden looking “nice”. But wildlife gardeners recommend leaving many of these perennials looking “untidy” over winter, as they can provide homes for beneficial insects and habitat for birds. In cold climates, the old bloom stalks provide some degree of protection against freezing and can trap snow, which acts as an insulator.

Speaking of perennials, this is a great time to plant them! Perennial herbs and other flowering plants as well as natives are great to plant now. Their roots will get established with short days and winter rains so they will be ready to grow and bloom next spring. Mediterranean herbs like sage, thyme and lavender usually do not need more than a little compost and some oyster shell as soil amendment, but make sure to loosen any compaction and only plant where there is good drainage. With most native plants you can skip the compost in the soil but around all perennials, apply a generous top mulch of rough compost or tree trimming chips, or layer compost first with wood chips over them. This will protect the soil and provide slow nutrient break down. If weeds are a problem you can put down some newspaper sections or cardboard between the plants and under the top mulch layer.  Make sure the mulch is not close to the base of the plants where it could hold in too much moisture and create rotting. Also, if you are in a cold spot, ask at the nursery if the plants have come right from a greenhouse environment. If so, you may want to protect them at night until they are hardened off.

If you want to plant fruit trees, cane berries or other plants bare root this winter, now is the best time to prepare the soil. It is not too wet now and often is in January and February when these plants are available; bare root planting will generally give you much better results than container grown trees. It is best to loosen the soil in the entire area where you will be planting. Remember that more roots will grow out than down. It’s sometimes a good idea to dig the hole now, then backfill it, cover with straw then cover the entire area with a tarp. One problem with this approach is that it is hard to know how deep to dig without knowing how long the roots will be, and it’s better to only dig as deep as the longest root to avoid settling. There is a lot more to say about tree planting and care. Look for a new iGROW sheet on this subject in January.

The fall lettuce in my garden has been great. The leaf lettuce heads got full size and hold so well now that each day I just pick the leaves I want for my salad. I’ve got plenty of cooking greens and have been using up the last of the peppers that I stored in the refrigerator. Each week I bake a different winter squash too.

The few holiday packages I’ll be sending are primarily from the garden or other Sonoma County farms. These include canned salsa, jam and dried tomatoes along with local wine and beeswax candles. Next year I want to grow more herbs for teas – both for myself and to share.

May your holidays be full of wonderful gifts from your garden and loved ones to share them with!

Wendy