What’s Growing on in the Garden: September 2023

Fall has officially arrived! How are you feeling about the seasonal change? Are you welcoming fall with open arms, or are you holding on to the last fleeting days of summer? I must admit that I love the fall season. The cooler temperatures, the sweet smell of fallen leaves, and the return of soup season and comfy sweaters make it one of my favorite times of the year.

Fall also means a return to routine in our household and a gradual slowing of the frantic pace that consumes summer on a farm. Matching my mood, the flowers and edibles are taking the cue that fall has arrived, and they have also started to slow their pace. And while there is still plenty to be done, it feels lovely to stop and take a breath.

Honestly, by this time of year, I am tired, and the garden is also starting to look tired. But, as much as I long to start hibernating, I need to rally my energy because fall is for planting and planning. I am already looking ahead to all that needs to be done before winter. While the pace of growth and the number of blooms slow this time of year, the frantic “last push” to put the garden to bed for the winter looms. Bulbs and bare roots will need to be planted, and beds will need to be cleaned up and topped with compost. Hoses and supports will need to be stored, rain barrels will need to be emptied, and pots and trays will need to be cleaned. The list goes on and on. But, by completing these tasks before winter, the garden (and gardener) will have a jump start when spring arrives.

But before we think too far ahead about all that still needs to be done, let’s look back at what was growing on in September on the farm.

The wet weather continued throughout September as storm after storm blew through, dropping several inches of rain at a time. Just this past weekend, Ophelia brought over two inches of rain to our already soggy soil. The rain brings concerns about disease and the condition of our dahlia tubers sitting underneath the ground that has been constantly wet for the past three months.

However, despite the overabundance of wet weather, we still have harvested some beautiful blooms this past month. The zinnias and dahlias were abundant and were complimented in mixed bouquets by celosia, gomphrena, veronica, and amaranth with the burgundy hue of Mahogany Splendor hibiscus as foliage. The blooms and our bouquets started to reflect a fall vibe in their colors and variety.

The edible garden also slowed down due to the cooler temperatures and shorter days. Peppers and tomatoes were still abundant throughout the month and allowed me to make several batches of ratatouille to tuck into the freezer for future enjoyment. At this point, the plants look somewhat weary, and other than a few green tomatoes hanging in there, the fruit seems relatively sparse. Especially since the excess rain has brought fungal disease that I can no longer hold off, I’m afraid we won’t have fresh produce from the garden much longer. So, I’ll savor every bite until it’s gone.

As I mentioned, fall is for planting, and I have been busy doing just that! We created a new peony bed on the farm, which was quite a back-breaking task. Everything is done by hand here, so picks and shovels were the tools of choice to get the job done, not machinery. I lost count of how many rocks we pulled out along the way. But, when the bed was complete, I planted eighteen new peony bare roots, hopefully giving us many blooms in the coming years.

As the growing season nears the end, I also regularly harvest and dry flowers for future projects. Celosia, gomphrena, strawflowers, zinnias, amaranth, verbena, ammobium, hydrangeas, dahlias, and more have been harvested, bunched, and hung to dry. I’m still learning about drying, but love preserving the season’s abundance.

Lastly, in other news, I finally got my Pollinator Steward certification in September! This was a culmination of hours of training and hands-on projects. I am very excited to have completed the certification process and will share more with you in a future post.

While I’m sad to see the growing season nearing an end, I look forward to the next phase of the garden. I am excited to plant next season’s tulips, daffodils, and other spring-blooming bulbs, as I know they will bring so much joy when they arrive. And I can’t wait to create next season’s bed plan as I sort through all the seeds I’ve ordered. Soon, I’ll be dreaming of all the beauty to come. But, for now, I will enjoy what is blooming in the fall garden and all that fall has to offer. That’s what’s been growing on in my garden; what’s been growing on in yours?