In the middle of a most delightful two-inch rainfall this morning, the first cormorants of the season landed on our lake and proceeded to go fishing. They had great success. Another diving duck that we could not identify landed a bit later. The seasons are changing. The hardy aster is in full bloom, milkweed bugs are back in full force and the tropical hibiscus is blooming and looking better than it has all summer. The Malabar spinach is growing so rampant it reminds me of kudzu. The red, orange, yellow and green peppers not only taste good, they look quite colorful in the garden. There is more color in the garden now than at most times of the year.

This week we will put out our organic fertilizer on all planting beds and turf. With all the rain we have had lately (and no one here in Texas dare complains about that!), we have had some problems with brown patch. My husband has become a real believer in the product called Actinovate, a biological fungicide, to take care of the problem. I am going to plant some Liberty snapdragons - I will use them as cut flowers later on. Even though we have brought in a few pansies and violas in to the stores, I am going to be patient and wait at least to the end of the month to plant. I know we are not completely done with the heat.

But meanwhile, tonight we will sleep with the windows open….

As I continue to plant in the very limited space left in my garden, I must choose veggies that take up very little room. I can always find spots to seed in carrots, beets, radishes, lettuces and spinach. What works best for me are packages that contain blends. I find these in the full line of seeds we carry from Botanical Interests. They have a large variety of certified organic seeds and many heirlooms as well.

How can anyone resist the Gourmet Blend of beets that includes Detroit Dark Red, Golden and Chioggia, an Italian beet with dark pink and white rings? The Easter Egg Blend of radishes has red, white, rose pink, purple and bi-color (a red top and white bottom) varieties. I really like oak leaf lettuce - the blend has both red and green leaves. The Farmer’s Market Blend of mesclun contains Tango, Royal Oak Leaf, Red Salad Bowl, Black Seeded Simpson, Grand Rapids and Red Sails. How about orange, red, purple, white and yellow carrots all from one package - the Carnival Blend. I have no room for climbing peas. Instead, I planted Shelling Progress - it only gets 18″ tall. And everybody knows my favorite is the Micro Greens Spicy Mix. I plant these in succession all winter long in a colorful low bowl.

It really does not take a lot of room for fresh veggies. All of these would be great in containers as well. Give it a try…

One of the highlights each year in our small rural town in Ontario was, and still is, the Fall Fair. It was the ultimate mingling of farm families and city folk (all 920 of us). Tractors pulls, horse races, 4-H shows, a parade and a midway with rides including my favorite Ferris wheel were just a part of these weekend events. There were baking contests and an arena full of displays of various crafts, with ribbons galore. Because these fairs are partly a celebration of the harvest, the veggie display was/is most prominent.

It has been many years since I have been to my hometown fair. A couple of weeks ago I did spend some time reminiscing as my husband and I visited another local fair in southern Ontario. We watched young boys and girls proudly show their calves and horses. Children enjoyed the midway. And I was enthralled with the veggie displays! Giant pumpkins of all shapes and sizes, beautiful potatoes, corn, beans, apples, peppers and many, many more. What made this even more meaningful was the recent email I received from my cousin David, the great gardener in the Shetland Islands. They have an annual village produce show open to entrants from all of Shetland. He won a first prize with his courgettes, a 2^nd for his broad beans and third prizes for peas and two lettuces. He also sent me photos of some of the fun aspects of the show. There were also some of these at the Ontario fair, but I believe the folks from Shetland were far more creative.

I just visited my siblings the past few days in the Prince Edward County area of southern Ontario. Temperatures were in the 70’s and no rain. Most importantly, it was harvest time. Old memories flooded in. The first night there, I visited my college roommate (and Maid of Honor at my wedding). Dinner was pan-fried pickerel and bass caught the day before. It was so good - the pickerel was almost sweet in flavor. Fresh chard, potatoes, peppers - all from the garden rounded out the entrée. Dessert was the most incredible blueberry pie - the blueberries had just been picked. Breakfast the next morning included her homemade red currant-raspberry jam (I remember so well my mum’s red currant jam) and peaches from the Niagara Falls area. And that was just the beginning of many incredible meals we had, so many of them sourced locally.

We drove the area, passing PYO (Pick Your Own) blueberry, strawberry, apple and tomato farms. We stopped and ate apples straight from the tree. I had forgotten how crisp they could be.  We passed several organic farms. A highlight was a wine and cheese tasting at Fifth Town Artisan Cheese Company. Every other day, their own truck picks up the goat and sheep milk to ensure freshness. Their mechanical engineering system is Platinum LEED certified. The cheese itself - Bagel Chevre, Bedda Feda, Operetta, Nettles Gone Wild - I loved them all so much.

What a treat this was - I returned so inspired. By the way, in case you read this, I did so much enjoy my weekend with you as well, my dear sisters and brother!

It is almost Labor Day. Back in Ontario, everybody is busy picking and preserving peaches. In the back of their minds, they know they could have their first frost at the end of the month (or even before). So what are we doing here in Texas? Planting a fall garden!

It may be hard to believe, but we can still plant beans and squash by seed if done right away. Starts of broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts can be planted - as long as we shade them from the hot sun. We can also start planting by seed, beets, lettuces, spinach, carrots, radishes, English peas, Swiss chard and turnips. Lightly sprinkle the seeds twice daily, if possible, until they have germinated. Don’t let our high heat dry them out.

There have been a few subtle signs that maybe our weather is breaking. The last few mornings have been delightful - the couple of mornings in the 60’s were heavenly. The hummingbirds are busier than ever and the monarchs are steadily increasing in numbers. So, rest assured, it will not always be in the 90’s and 100’s - cooler days will come!

When I talk to my customers and my employees, I maintain that one of the basic premises of organic gardening is to use no synthetic fertilizers or toxic chemicals. Prepare the garden with organic materials. Soil, in most instances, needs to be well drained. Do not plant too deep. Mulch beds well to retain moisture and prevent weeds. Dig out/ pull weeds when small to prevent problems. Mow lawns frequently, even in winter, to prevent growth and spread of weeds. Fertilize with dry organic fertilizer and foliar feed with liquid seaweed, compost tea and fish emulsion.

 I love coming across old quotes that allude to the same teachings.

From writings in the 1800’s -

            “And then as to manure, flowers can neither paint their beauty, nor elaborate their fragrance on dead rocks or barren soil. To prevent disappointment, begin the year by enriching the earth”

            “deep planting has been a frequent cause of failure”

            “no flowers tender or hardy will continue to survive in saturated soil”

Celia Thaxter from “An Island Garden” - Weeds “must be dealt with at once and without mercy; they must be pulled up root and branch, without a moment’s delay.”

 Sutton’s Spring Catalog from 1878 - Useful Hints on Lawns -

“Mow weeds as soon as they appear or take them up one at a time”

 ”And then as to manure, flowers can neither paint their beauty, nor elaborate their fragrance on dead rocks or barren soil. To prevent disappointment, begin the year by enriching the earth”

 ”Zinnias, asters, marigolds and sub tropicals can be very much increased in size by liberal waterings with house sewage and other manure water”

 ”Weeds are sure to thrive also - therefore they need to be instantly destroyed.”

 As my grandchildren would say - “pretty cool”!

I spent a few days in Chicago last week - I really like this city. There are plants everywhere. It was interesting to learn how one person’s determination (mind you it was, and is, the mayor!) to beautify a city can make such a difference. Since Mayor Daley came in to office, hundreds of thousands of trees have been planted, miles and miles of boulevard planters have been built and planted, window boxes and troughs hanging from railings and parking garages have been filled with plantings. Trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals and grasses fill the containers. It is beautiful!

I took the opportunity participate in a tour visiting a few “green roofs”. That, too, was inspiring. We were not able to visit Chicago City Hall, which has a huge one, as it was one of the city’s furlough days. We did get to see the very first Wal-Mart store with a green roof. The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum’s green roof had native plants on it mimicking the plantings surrounding the facility. I was quite surprised to learn that the 24-acre Millennium Park is actually a green roof built entirely over underground parking garages. This is an incredible outdoor space in the middle of the city. The Jay Pritzker Pavilion designed by Frank Gehry offers free concerts throughout the summer. The Lurie Garden provides a quiet spot to contemplate. Everybody - child and adult - wants to touch the Cloud Gate sculpture. My favorite is the Crown Fountain - I love watching the children interact with this water feature. You must visit.

After some forty plus years of marriage, I still get flowers…

Our yard is not a large one. Nevertheless, I have always tried to plant some plants that will serve as cut flowers. They vary from month to month. African blue basil, purple coneflower, rudbeckia are some of my favorites. I will use the plumes of lindheimer muhly and inland sea oats. Rain lilies, columbine, ground orchid and hardy amaryllis go into vases.

There are three rose bushes in our yard. Graham Thomas is a yellow, very fragrant English rose. Red Knockouts are my husband’s favorite, because they are so easy to take care of, and bloom almost the year round. And, there is an orange rose that I have no idea what it is. Last year, when it had reached almost 7 feet in height, we woke up one morning and found it reduced to eighteen-inch stubs. Our local beavers had decided they needed it for their home! They had also made a feast out of the knockouts.

This year all have recovered.

Each day as I go to the kitchen to prepare dinner I find a new rose in a small vase by the sink. It is a simple (and cheap) act that warms my heart.

When I was a college student (many, many years ago!), I thought I was going to be a teacher. At the time, I became a mother instead. Several years later, I spent a year as a teacher’s aide and another year as a substitute teacher. I learned two things. One - I was not meant to be a teacher and two - good teachers are incredible people.

Last week I attended a Professional Development day sponsored by REAL School Gardens. This amazing organization now works with 57 elementary schools, 30, 000 children and 1400 educators to create outdoor learning gardens to be used daily for all parts of the curriculum. Several of the educators spent the day working on a project designed to teach the children about wind power and solar energy - alternative energy sources that will power the water pumps in the school gardens. This particular project is being funded by a $50, 000 grant from the Motorola foundation.

Another session demonstrated how a wonderful bilingual book My Nana’s Remedies/Los remedios de mi nana by Roni Capin Rivera-Ashford, could be utilized to teach math, science, art, language and more in the garden.

These educators are so eager to teach and inspire a new generation to understand and appreciate the many facets of our environment. Thank you so much.

The little lake (or maybe, pond) we have lived on for the past ten years, has hundreds of turtles in it. All summer long, we see them out sunning themselves. We love to watch them when they perch on wayward tree limbs or other debris floating on the lake. Occasionally a duck will join them, a comical sight.

Last month, for the first time, we found several broken eggs in a bed close to the lake. They were next to holes that were a foot or more deep and about two or so inches in diameter. We had no idea when the eggs had hatched. This past week, my husband looked out the window and found a turtle busy at work. For more than an hour, she dug, flinging dirt (and the poor heuchera in the spot) everywhere, and then sat on the hole laying eggs.

We only hope we can witness the eggs hatching.