Golden Days of Fall

  I love fall. Fall comes before winter which is my favorite time of year so fall is the harbinger of something grand.  To be fair, I love fall just because it is it is so jammed pack full of things to do.  Since the clue hunt is over for another year, tomorrow will find me out in the garden.  It is past time to rid the plot of the waning summer plants and put in the fall/winter garden of greens, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, beets, spinach, mustard greens and any other cold hardy plants.  These will tide us over until the weather warms in spring.  Personally, I enjoy the winter crops just as much as the summer ones.  Perhaps this is only due to the lack of fresh summer veggies but greens are mighty tasty and do provide wonderful nutrients for the body!

  For the past twenty-four hours, rain has pounded the hillside.  This was much needed so is greatly appreciated.  I braved the showers to check the gauges and found that we received well over two inches. While out, I found that the marigolds were thriving in the wetness of the day.  The blooms spilled over out of the box and ran amok on the walkway making for a wonderful golden pathway.

  Marigolds are some of my favorite garden flowers for so many reasons. Their lovely gold, orange and yellow hues stand to depict fall perfectly. The brightness is not only present during the warmer months but extends its stay well into our winters.  Grey days require a bit of brightness and marigolds fit the bill well.  Also, when planted in among the vegetables, the heady scent of the leaves is great at keeping critters at bay.  Very few plant-munching varmints desire a mouthful of marigold leaves!  Then there is the wonderful fact that once you buy your initial pack of seeds (and you can get the cheapest ones at a dollar store...they grow just as well.), the plants reseed themselves.  When the blooms start to fade, they can be harvested and dried.  If you break open the dried flower, nigh on a hundred stick-like seeds can be found inside.  Other seeds will drop to the ground and surprise you in the spring by sprouting and filling the garden with tiny plants.  Marigolds are like a perpetual garden! They never seem to end!  So plant a few in the spring and have bright flowers all summer.  Those same plants can add a bit of golden glow to your fall days (maybe on into winter!).