Garden Notes

As Autumn is coming to an end and Winter is quickly approaching, it is a good time to look around your garden for the remnants of the past season. Gather dried pods, seed heads, dried flowers, herb stems, and even weed plumes. Also, Oak galls, acorns, and pinecones are some more of nature's gifts.

Have you ever wondered what makes tree leaves change color during fall? Many people believe that frost is responsible for the change in colors, but frost has little to do with it. Many times, leaves change color before the first hint of frost.

I enjoy the beauty, creativity, accomplishment, exercise, and sense of community that come with gardening. While I'm not as young as I used to be, I managed pretty well until recently, when I fractured my back.

Winter is a season of flavorful bursts. The dinner to warm and nourish, a breakfast of eggs plucked from perhaps your own hens' laying boxes, dishes prepared with carefully preserved vegetables and fruits (talking about YOU, Master Food Preservers!).

(Reprinted from 2021) Maintaining 27,000 trees and planning additional plantings is no small task.