Garden Notes

As both a Mindfulness Meditation teacher and a Master Gardener, I am sometimes asked if gardening is like meditation, and I always answer that it can be. Mindfulness is paying careful attention to the present moment in a kind and non-judgmental way.

Welcome y'all to fall. It's time to gather those cast iron skillets and create some autumn happiness. The first recipe is a skillet filled with sweet potatoes, apples, Brussels sprouts, onions, chicken and bacon.

Q. What is wrong with my compost pile, it is not getting hot or even close to 140F? A. There could be several things happening here. For one thing, a compost pile needs to be large enough to trap heat and the general rule of thumb is to have a cubic yard of material a pile that is 3ft x 3ft x 3ft.

Dried gourds are fun to use for fall decorating and crafts. Their hard, woody shells make them ideal for a variety of projects that range from simple to quite complex. The techniques used for decorating gourds include painting, woodburning, carving, piercing, and adding woven material.

As fall approaches, life may look like it is slowing down in your garden, but while we're cozy inside our homes lots of critters are busy preparing to wreak havoc.