Common Sense Home Good News Letter 9/23/23
“Bins, baskets, boxes, and buckets filled with produce festooned the home in celebration of the harvest. The arrangements weren’t likely to be featured in an upscale magazine any time soon, but they represented abundance, and the culmination of a another season of hard work. The land took care of those who took care of the land.”
Goodness how this year is flying by! Equinox is here, and from now until Winter Solstice, it feels like we should be heading into hibernation as the daylight hours shorten.
I know a lot of people feel the need to fill the lengthening nights with gatherings and parties to brighten the darkness, but I welcome the time to slow down and reflect.
As the gardening season wraps up, it’s a good time to make some notes about what worked well and what didn’t, and things you’d like to change for next year. What seems to fresh in mind right now will undoubtedly fade by the time planting time rolls around again.
If you have naked gardens beds, fall is a great time to add some cover crops to protect and enrich the soil. True Leaf Market has a great selection of cover crop seeds to help you get started.
Depending on your location, it may be time to plant cool weather crops. Our first frost date is typically in early October, but I know my southern friends have some of their best gardening weather in fall and winter. Root vegetables, greens, and peas all prefer cooler temps.
While I’ve been busy harvesting and processing garden goodies, the guys have been busy on the new outbuilding. Our sons have been handling the bulk of the building, while August grabs time when he can and does the calculations.
We rented a telehandler for putting up the trusses, and Duncan did a great job keeping the lifts steady. Now they’ll be working on the sides for a while, until the lift is available again to help with the roofing. The building has a loft area above, accessible with stairs, for more storage, so that makes the truss layout a little more challenging.
What would you like to see more of on the website and newsletter this fall and winter? Hit reply to this email to share your thoughts.
All our best to you and yours,
Laurie (and August IV, August V, and Duncan)
This week’s featured articles…
These lovelies are adorning the semi-wild areas of our property right now. New England asters are one of my favorite fall wildflowers.
This pumpkin fruit leather is a fall favorite.
Apple scrap vinegar is a great way to get more use from your apple harvest. We make up some every year to use in cooking and for critter care.
Popular on Instagram this week – raising trusses with the telehandler and more home canning.