Labor Day is long past, and we are officially in early fall, gardening’s “second season”. In most places, September and early October are a great time for outdoor work. Plants that go into the ground now have a good chance of establishing roots before cold weather sets in, giving them a head start on next … Read more
The ordering season for fall-planted bulbs, including daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths, starts each year in spring when the flowers appear. It continues through the gardening season until about Halloween, with the few unsold bulbs languishing after that at the back of garden centers’ and nurseries’ display areas. Despite my best efforts at speed and efficiency … Read more
On mornings in the late summer and early fall, I wait for the sun to rise high enough for the asters and other flowers to open. That magic moment should be heralded by trumpets, but since I live in the suburbs, that will never happen. Even without trumpets, though, the daily grand opening of the … Read more
Previous generations had no “second season”, just as they never experienced the Halloween industrial complex or the curse of perpetual screen time. Fall used to be a leisurely affair that included harvesting whatever was left in the vegetable garden and replacing the fading pots of annuals by the front door with plump chrysanthemums. It also … Read more
I have decided not to be gloomy about mid to late fall. Yes, the leaves are coming down from the sugar maple in my front strip faster than I can get rid of them. Yes, if I think about it, I can envision all of the icy blasts, damaging storms and winter grayness that is … Read more
