Cooler Temperatures

It finally feels like summer has moved on. Sweaters are out and the heater is ticking on in the morning these days. The crisp, cool mornings are telling us to mimic natures cues to slow down and rest. So much feels out of our control right now. Humans tend to withdraw and turn inward. I am choosing to focus on shopping local, being in community with dear friends and other like minded local business owners. Of course, spending as much time as I can in my own personal garden because I believe that nature and hands in the soil heals the mind.

If you haven’t done so it is time to remove all the summer veggies. Be sure to leave tall flowers that have seeds for the birds to eat. The birds are thoroughly enjoying this giant sunflower in my garden!

You have heard me say it before… cover crop, cover crop! Now is the time to plant beneficial plants to add nitrogen, organic matter, and biodiversity to the soil. It also helps retain all the moisture of the rains coming soon! In prepping for the winter you always want to layer all planting areas with a good mulch. There is a huge difference between plain bark mulch and good mulch that benefits the soil. My favorite mulch is Vineyard Mulch from West Marin Compost. I have been using it for at least 12 years in my own garden and I have seen massive transformation in my soil from water absorption and healthy plants.

When cover cropping, I mix all seeds into a small bucket. I use usually at least 2 different seeds because different plants benefit different aspects of soil health. I sprinkle them into the soil and then give it a good soak of water either from the sky or hand watering. If you don’t see on and off rain coming into the forecast then you will need to turn irrigation on or hand water every other day.

This is a photo of years’ past lush and healthy cover crop after several months in the ground.

There is also still time to get those perennial plants in the ground, pollinator and natives are best!

Be sure to take a lesson from nature even though with the holidays, family obligations, the winter is a time to rest and reset.