A bittersweet time for the gardener, we usually think of autumn as the harvest season.
But a few duties remain.
First, it’s bulb planting time!
My husband gifted me an amazing raised bed for our anniversary that I plan to turn into a vegetable garden in the spring.
For now, I decided to sew some garlic, which needs a long time in the ground before harvesting.
I got these garlic bulbs from a talented herb gardener in West Virginia. I’ve never truly tasted garlic until I tasted hers. Expertly knowledgeable, she recommended to me the spiciest hard-neck variety. Here’s hoping it takes!
Also on the list, tulips and hyacinthus, my two favorite spring flowers. I love bulbs because they encourage us to look forward to the future, they come back every year, and they keep doubling, so you can dig them up and give them away to friends. I always smile in the spring when these pop out of the ground, and thank myself for taking the time to plant them in the fall.
This marks my first year as a window gardener.
Pinching off some tender herbs right from the plant in December sounds like a spectacular natural luxury to me!
I decided to focus on basil, which makes all the difference in winter batches of spicy sausage Italian red sauce.
It was with some skepticism that I tried propagating herbs. I put little stock in internet gardening advice. I never believe it until I see it with my own eyes. It sounded too easy.
Just clip beneath the nodes, and stick in water.
Wait for the roots to grow. (Pardon the unfortunate state of my cuticles—no point in doing your nails before you work in the garden.)
Plant in soil. I put landscaping rocks at the bottom for drainage.
It’s really that easy! I’m amazed!
