As fall arrives, many gardeners notice an increase in earwigs lurking around their plants. These small, dark brown insects with pincers on their tails can look a bit intimidating, but their impact on your garden is a mix of good and bad.
Earwigs get their name from the old European myth that they crawl into your ears and tunnel into your brain to lay their eggs while you are sleeping. YIKES! Lucky for us, this old wives’ tale is not true. But the pincers on the back on an earwig’s body are still enough to freak people out.
Earwigs are most active at night and can often be found hiding in damp, dark spots during the day. In the fall, they seek shelter from the cooler weather, often in garden beds, under mulch, or in piles of leaves. While earwigs have a bad reputation for munching on plants, their role in the garden isn’t all negative.
On the downside, earwigs do eat leaves, flowers, and vegetables like lettuce, strawberries, and soft fruits, which can cause damage to your garden. However, they don’t typically cause significant harm unless their population is out of control like in a season that’s wetter than normal.
On the positive side, earwigs help clean up the garden by eating decaying plant matter and even feeding on pests like aphids and mites. This makes them useful in keeping some pest populations down naturally. Earwigs will even eat other earwigs!
If you find earwigs causing damage, there are simple ways to manage them. Traps made from rolled-up newspaper or damp cardboard can attract them overnight. In the morning, simply dispose of the traps.
While earwigs can cause some harm to plants, they also play a helpful role in garden cleanup and pest control, making them a creature worth understanding in the fall garden ecosystem.
Five years ago I moved from a large rural garden outside Ottawa to a small urban lot in downtown Peterborough. One of the biggest changes in my gardening practice was making the switch from large, multi-bin composting to a single, small, black plastic bin. Over the years in my Ottawa garden I had developed a good system for adding kitchen and garden waste, turning the compost, adding leaf mulch, then spreading the compost over the gardens. Here in Peterborough, my small plastic bin was productive on a smaller scale but the raccoons, bunnies, and rats managed to chew through the plastic and serve themselves. It was more of a mess than a benefit. They defeated me. Thankfully, the municipal kitchen waste program kicked in about the time the racoons moved in, giving me a reasonable alternative for kitchen waste. My garden wasn’t getting much benefit except for the fall leaves that I mulched and put over the beds.
I realized that I really miss composting and I would prefer to be putting my own food scraps back into my garden. I started looking into composting systems for small spaces and came across bokashi composting. It’s not really composting, rather a fermentation process, and described as perfect for small spaces. Sometimes called a ‘pre-compost’ process, the fermented results are added to worm compost or outdoor compost where decomposition is completed. It’s also anaerobic so there’s no need to turn the compost or layer materials. The process is fairly fast, about two weeks for the initial fermentation step. Any kitchen waste, including meat, cheese, oil, can be added. Bokashi is a Japanese word meaning fermented organic matter; the practice originated in Japan.
The anaerobic fermentation process requires an accelerator, something like a starter for sourdough baking. It is often referred to as ‘bokashi bran’, the bran inoculated with microorganisms – fungi, lactobacteria, phytobacteria. It’s easy enough to put together a homemade system with a few 5-gallon buckets – one with a tight sealing lid – and other household items. One bucket should have holes drilled in the bottom; this bucket is placed inside the other; the holes allowing any moisture from the fermenting food to drip into the bottom bucket. Fill the top bucket with layers of small 2 – 3” kitchen scraps and bokashi bran until the bucket is almost full, cover and press with a layer of waxed paper, a cloth, or even some foam before sealing the bucket with the lid and leaving for a few weeks to ferment. After about one week some white mold with develop, after two weeks the bucket will smell like pickles and the fermented material can be buried in the garden about 6-12”deep. It will decompose fairly quickly in the garden and planting can be done around the fermented trough after a few weeks. Alternatively, it can be added to the compost heap or even into a large tub of soil indoors where it will continue to decompose. Any liquid – the ‘tea’ in the bottom bucket can be added to the compost or garden as well.
Bokashi bran is widely available online and at some garden centres; it’s also possible to buy a kit that includes bran, several buckets, and instructions. The buckets in the kits often have a tap and reservoir so the ‘tea’ can be collected at the bottom of the bucket. Like sourdough starter, the bran can be made at home, though some starters work more quickly than others. It’s worth experimenting to test a few products and compare results. I’ve learned that a few cities in western Canada have municipal bokashi programs so it is possible in colder climates. On a large scale, it is also being trialled at Sissinghurst, a famous garden in the UK.
The image on the left shows bokashi bran sprinkled on kitchen scraps.
The image on the right shows soil with fermented kitchen scraps after a few weeks in soil.
When I was asked to put together an article on seed saving for our local Horticultural Society’s newsletter, I thought it would also be a good topic for this forum. Seed collecting can be a fun activity. You can share the seeds with other gardeners and trade for some varieties you don’t have in your garden.
Some things are quite obvious; like pumpkin seeds and squash seeds that you save, dry, and keep for the next year. Vegetable seeds too can be saved, like beans and peas when they get too ripe to eat; let them mature on the plants until the pods are dry and harvest the seeds.
By not deadheading some flowers, you can let them go to seed and collect the seeds when the flower heads have dried. Many plants will self-seed like the dandelions we see all over our lawns. By collecting seeds we have some control over where they will grow.
For the most part, the majority of plants flower yearly, however there are those that only come into flower every other year like Hollyhocks and members of the carrot family. This can be frustrating if you forget where you have seeds planted or scattered like I do. This link describes types of plants.
For most seeds, we don’t have to do anything else except collect the seeds, and plant them the following year. Others do need special treatment:
Fermentation – A process where the outer gelatinous “skin” (my term) is removed from the seeds of such vegetables as tomatoes and cucumbers.
Scarification – Some seed shells are so hard that they need to be abraded or sanded/scratched to allow moisture to get into the seed germ.
Stratification – Some seeds need a period of cold to allow them to germinate. Winter sowing is a form of this strategy.
Some seeds are viable for a long time, others not so. To check viability, wet a paper towel and partly wring it out. It should be wet but not dripping. Put a few seeds on one half of the towel, fold the other half of the towel over seeds and put in a plastic bag and seal. Within a few days you will be able to tell if the seeds germinate or not.
Seeds need to be stored in a dry cool environment. I keep mine in a labeled paper envelope in a larger plastic box in the basement.
This is the time of year when spring bulbs begin to appear on store shelves…creating a sense of joy and excitement about what awaits us in the garden at the end of a long cold winter in Ontario.
While many gardeners will plan their bulb display in a prominent garden bed with high visibility, what about those of us living in small spaces, or without a prepared bed at the ready. We too can enjoy that first sight of spring by creating and storing a spring planter in the cool temperatures of the Fall.
In my mind, one of the most beautiful container displays is that of a layered spring bulb container planting with a variety of bulbs offering successive blooming. Here is what you need to consider.
Keep in mind that overwintering cold hardy bulbs in a container is not always easy. To force cold hardy bulbs into bloom you must first encourage them to produce new roots. Unlike other hardy perennials that are dormant throughout the winter, spring bulbs when planted in the fall must grow new roots to establish themselves. This can be accomplished by keeping the bulbs cool and moist for a period of time in their container. Dropping the temperature during the cooling period to mimic the shift in soil temperatures that occurs naturally during the winter is a very effective method to encourage rooting.
Bulbs grow right through the winter, producing roots and sprouts. Source: International Flower Bulb Center (from Laidback Gardener article)
To safely overwinter, either put the entire pot into the ground where the heat radiating up from the earth will prevent freezing or place it in an unheated garage where the temperature remains between 33-46 degrees F. Do NOT place the container in a heated garage or basement as bulbs need the chill period in order to produce bloom in the Spring.
To prepare a layered spring bulb container, consider the mature height of each plant, the timing of flowering, and the colour scheme. For example, a blue, yellow, and white colour scheme can be achieved by planting a white variety of tulip (Tulipa hybrids), yellow daffodil (Narcissus hybrids), and blue grape hyacinth (Muscari botryoides).
Layering is accomplished by planting the tallest bulb first (3 times the height of the bulb), layering soil on top, planting the next layer of bulbs, followed by soil, and finally the third layer of bulbs (the shortest and smallest) with the final layer of soil on top. The container should be watered well and finally stored where the bulbs will have a successful cold period of at least 3 months without freezing.
In early Spring, the container can be moved outside into the warm sunlight to encourage the bulbs to begin their spring growth. Keep in mind that although bulbs planted in a south or western exposure garden may sprout very early (often with snow on the ground), their roots are protected underground from frost penetration.
This is not the case with containers. As such, if there are persistent cold temperatures after the sun sets, you may need to move the container into the shelter of the garage at night until the nighttime temperatures remain above freezing.
Although this may sound like a lot of work, the early blooms of hardy spring bulbs make it worth it…they offer the first splash of colour against the often-dull gray backdrop of winters’ end, signaling the beginning of the growing season.
Having the container ready to go can mean that you will have a beautiful display of spring colour to adorn your front porch or deck.
I confess to LOVING this time of year. The heat and humidity of the summer is gone, and our gardens are still looking lovely. Although my established gardens are beginning the slow process of fading and getting settled in for their winter sleep, fall is a wonderful time to plant for so many reasons.
They may not look perfect but they’ll be going to sleep soon and will wake up next spring in their new homes.
You Have Time
Unlike your annuals or tender perennials, most perennials (and native plants in particular) can be planted in September and well into October (depending on where you live in Ontario).
Smaller trees and shrubs in particular are fine to plant once they have gone dormant and leaves have dropped, as long as they are well watered until freeze up.
I love the fall as it seems less frenzied than the spring gardening season, with time to reflect on the summer that has passed. Unlike spring and summer, temperatures moderate during fall, not only for the plants but also for us! It’s terrific working weather – you start with your sweatshirt on in the morning, but by the afternoon the temperatures have warmed up considerably and you might be in a t-shirt. During July and August I can only work in my gardens in the early morning or late evening due to the heat. Your plants don’t like to be planted in the heat of summer either. So fall is my happy time.
Assessing and Dividing
Fall is the perfect time to look around your garden – do you have holes, bad-looking spots, poorly performing plants? Are there places that need something new or something moved?
I need to revamp this garden and think about moving some perennials around.
Fall is a great time to divide overgrown perennials, especially those that bloom in the spring. I just dug up all of my fragrant hostas the other day and moved them to a new location so that I can expand my shade native plant garden. Next up – planting a hedgerow.
Hostas at the front of the bed were removed to put in more native plants
Warmer Soil Temperatures
During fall, soil temperatures remain warm from the summer sun, so conditions are ideal for root growth.
Cooler Air Temperatures
Gone is the humidity and heat of the summer and the unpredictability of spring weather (and worries about frost). Daytime high temperatures are nice and there is less water evaporation from leaves.
More Rain, Less Work
With fall also comes more frequent rainfall and less need to water new plantings. There aren’t crazy swings in moisture levels – fall rains are warm and welcome and moisture levels are perfectly balanced, encouraging root growth.
When you plant in spring and early summer, the weather can be very variable, especially with regard to temperatures and rainfall. The soil is still cool, and plants take a while to get established.
Fall rains rejuvenate our gardens
Some Challenges
It can be challenging to plant new perennials in the fall – stock and selections at nurseries may be less (however the prices may be better!) and some plants have been sitting in plastic pots for months and look less than perfect. Be sure to purchase new plants at a nursery that takes good care of their plants over the gardening season (that generally does not include big box stores – shop local where you can) and pull the plant out and check for a healthy root mass in the pot.
Ideally, give your plants at least 6 weeks of optimal growing weather of fall before the colder winds start blowing in.
One Last Note
It’s a really good idea to add mulch to your fall gardening – it helps insulate the ground and maintains warm soil temperatures even during early winters. So, you are providing a nice warm area for young plants to establish their root systems before the frost.
A Special Note on Native Plants
They might look a little sad in the nursery, with not much top growth and it may be browning. However, under that soil are roots, lots of roots, and that is what you are buying when you purchase a native plant.
Although a bit brown on top, this native plant has great roots just ready for a new home.
So when you see a small three inch plant with roots coming out the bottom, recognize that it’s the perfect size to plant, and don’t worry about its ability to survive the winter.
Sleep, Creep, Leap
You may have heard the phrase “sleep, creep, leap” with respect to many plants, and especially native plants. Unlike most perennials, native plants just want to get their roots established during the first year (which is why they appear to ‘sleep’).
So if you plant in the fall, the roots are growing furiously, pushing south to grab moisture and nutrients to sustain them through the heat of summer next year. In the second year native plants creep, with more top growth and maybe even flowering. Watch out in the third year! They leap to their full size and blooming capacity.
So, if you can plant in the fall, the sooner your native plants can put down their roots in their new home, and be ready to grow in the spring season.
Bottom line? Fall weather is optimal for growth.
The perfect combo of warm soil temperatures near the root and cooler air temperatures on the top offer the ideal growing conditions for any new plantings or dividing existing perennials.
So get out in your gardens! (It’s also time to think about planting your spring flowering bulbs. Check out Master Gardener Cheryl Harrison’s excellent blog on how to do this.
Welcome to the second edition of Garden Jeopardy featuring a number of smaller native trees.
I do love trees and in my suburban garden the opportunity to grow multiple smaller varieties is appealing. The choices are many and discovering an interesting characteristic or benefit about a particular species inspires my choices. Hopefully this edition will be inspiring for gardeners looking to add more trees to their gardens this fall. You can confirm your responses at the end.
A shade-tolerant tree with smooth, blue-tinged bark and a fluted trunk sometimes known as ‘musclewood’.
A tree that bears white, showy clusters of flowers in June or July that develop into orange or red fruits that are persistant throughout the winter and much loved by birds.
A small evergreen tree that is resistant to insects and rot, rarely requires pruning and produces dark blue, berry-like cones that are a food source for Cedar Waxwings.
A species at risk tree for part to full shade that is a host tree for the Giant Swallowtail butterfly, the largest butterfly found in Canada.
An understory tree with branches in distinct layers that produces clusters of white flowers in spring, red leaves in the fall and is an important butterfly larval host.
A tough, adaptable and urban friendly tree with a distinct upright trunk, wide-spreading crown and the densest Canadian wood.
A tree bearing pea-flower shaped intense pink flowers in spring prior to leafing out, that is not native to Peterborough but will thrive here in a protected area.
An excellent Peterborough source for the aforementioned trees.
A bedraggled Giant Swallowtail in my garden.
What is the Blue Beech; Carpinus caroliniana?
What is the American Mountain Ash; Sorbus americana?
What is the Eastern Redcedar; Juniperus virginiana?
What is the Common Hoptree; Ptelea trifoliata?
What is the Alternate-Leaf Dogwood; Cornus alternifolia?
What is the Ironwood, Hop-hornbeam; Ostrya virginiana?
Master Gardeners (MGs) in the Province of Ontario are experienced gardeners who have studied horticulture extensively and who continue to upgrade their skills through technical training. With this training MG’s are able provide quality horticultural advice to the general public via garden clinics, telephone, letters, displays, workshops, television, radio, the web and newspaper articles. This provides the public with advice based on science.
BUT… “Book Learning” (as the older farmers in my neighbourhood refer to it) doesn’t always tell the whole story. There are many instances where the “right” answer is not always the best or the only answer. For example, Dr. Keith Hammett, a famous sweet pea breeder and researcher maintains that sweet pea seeds do not require soaking in order to aid in germination.
However, at my house any of the unsoaked sweet peas seeds never germinate while the soaked seeds of the same varieties do. Same seeds, same potting mix, same growing conditions. What’s up??? In order to ensure I have plants; I simply soak my seeds.
For the past couple of years I have been trying (unsuccessfully) to grow breadseed poppies. Conventional wisdom states that these seeds are best direct seeded outside in early spring as poppies do not tolerate root disturbance and transplanting. But when I direct seed nothing comes of it.
This past winter, I decided to ignore conventional wisdom and to conduct my own trial at home. I sowed the same type of bread seed poppies three different ways: Winter sowing, in trays indoors that would later be transplanted and direct sown into the ground.
The winter sown seeds were not as plentiful as I thought they may be but some germinated which I transplanted in the bed. I suspect that a heavy rain had washed the seed to the side of the shed the seed to the sides of the container where only a few germinated.
Winter sown seedlings at container’s edge
The direct sown seeds for the most part did not germinate and the few that developed did so late in the year. However, the indoor raised seeds did well. So much so that I always seemed to be thinning them.
Being mindful of their sensitive roots I sowed a number of seeds into larger cells. Plants were thinned not by pulling which might disturb the remaining roots but by cutting off at the soil surface with scissors. When it came time to transplant outside, the entire cell was lifted and transplanted into the soil.
Seedlings started indoors in large cells.
Seedlings transplanted to garden. Tiny seedlings are from direct sowing.
I had direct sown 4 lines of seed in the area that I transplanted the winter sown and indoor started plants. As time passed the indoor started seedlings overtook the others and produced the best and the most plants. The other methods did work but not well and the method cautioned against was the most successful. I suspect that I mitigated the problems of root disturbance by using an overly large cell to start them in and handle them as a unit.
Mature Sissinghurst White Breadseed Poppies.
Seed pod on Bowling Ball Poppy.
It isn’t that the conventional recommendation is wrong, it is wrong for my situation (I often do not have enough consistent moisture in order for direct seeding to be successful).
Here’s how I look at it. The facts are the guidelines we use to get started and our experience can fill in rest. Never stop experimenting with new methods. After all, someone had to be the first to try winter sowing or no till gardening.
In the world of vegetable gardening, the fall garden starts about mid to late summer. This is an unusual time to think about starting seedlings or putting seeds in the ground for many.
Busy summer schedules, hot dry weather and maybe even lack of interest in the garden at this point in the year make the fall garden less popular. Perhaps gardening is not a project that’s high on your list in the middle of summer vacation.
Here is why I think you should do it anyway!
A chance to try some cool weather crops that don’t like the heat of summer.
Many fall garden vegetables taste better or sweeter in the cooler weather or after a frost.
Tasty herbs that can be enjoyed fresh and brought inside for winter.
Making use of available space after harvesting a summer crop.
Fewer bugs and weeds to contend with (in theory).
Helps the garden to look fresh and tidy and less like a shaggy jungle this time of year (if you’re anything like me).
How To Get Started
In general, you learn the first frost date for your area and count backwards based on the number of days your fall garden varieties need to reach maturity. In the Peterborough area, we can expect our first frost around the end of September or early October. This means there are about 40-50 days to work with from the day of this post (mid-August). Keep in mind, a lot of fall- friendly garden varieties can easily survive light frosts. This means you have more than enough time to grow some delicious food.
Here are some sources to help determine your growing zone’s last frost date:
Below is a list of plants that can be harvested 40-50 days from germination and tolerate light frosts. (The numbers can vary depending on the variety. Choose short season varieties if possible.)
Spinach
Lettuce (greens, not head)
Bok Choy
Cilantro
Turnips
Radishes
Green Onions
Mustard Greens
Swiss Chard
Arugula
This website has some more unique varieties to suggest:
Additionally, here are some vegetables that take longer to reach maturity but can also handle light frosts:
Carrots (70-80 days, depending on the variety – can be stored in the cool soil until snow comes)
Leeks (100-120 days – can be harvested as early as 60 days)
Parsley (60-70 days – these can be slow to germinate, so if you can find a plant, perfect!)
Some late season carrot seedlings popping up in the bed I recently harvested my garlic from.
You can also consider some cool weather crops with a slightly longer growing time by starting your fall garden a little earlier next year. Examples: Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Potatoes.
Get Planting!
You can start your seeds in trays in a sunny window or sow right into the garden, outdoor pot, window box, etc.
Amend your soil with compost if you have it available.
Plant your seeds and water daily to ensure the seeds have a good chance to germinate. Decrease the frequency as sprouts appear.
Don’t forget to leave space to plant your garlic in the fall!
Trouble Seed Sourcing in Late Summer?
Use any extra seeds from spring.
Look for seed sales as companies look to clear out their seeds that can’t be sold next year.
Learn to seed save. It’s easier than you might think!
Allow your spring/summer plants to self seed. Ex. kale, cilantro, lettuce, spinach, etc.
Some kale seed pods from my spring plants that I can use for a fall crop.
A few trays of greens to go out into the garden for fall eating.
Umbrella liverwort (Marchantia polymorpha) is a fascinating plant that often catches the eye with its unique, umbrella-like structures. These small, flat, and green plants have been around for millions of years, making them one of the oldest plant species on Earth. They do not have a vascular system, and like ferns, they produce spores instead of seeds. While they do not flower, the female reproductive structures mature to look like tiny palm trees or umbrellas. For this reason, the common variety is called umbrella liverwort.
In our area, umbrella liverwort is commonly found in moist, shaded areas like garden beds, greenhouses, and along stream banks. This plant is native to many parts of the world, including Ontario, and has a long history of thriving in damp environments.
While liverwort is native, it can sometimes behave like an invasive plant, especially in gardens and greenhouses. It thrives in conditions where moisture is abundant, and air circulation is poor. If left unchecked, it can spread rapidly, covering the soil surface and competing with other plants for light and nutrients. However, its unique appearance and ancient history make it a cool plant to observe in your garden.
If you want to manage umbrella liverwort, focus on improving drainage, reducing moisture levels, and allowing more sunlight into the affected areas. But for those who appreciate its prehistoric charm, umbrella liverwort can be a delightful addition to a garden, provided it’s kept in check. An added benefit is that you don’t have to plant them — they just show up!
Our schedules are brimming, and life is back to “normal” after those challenging years of a global pandemic. We may be busier than ever, but are things truly back to normal?
Crises–locally and internationally–politically, socially and economically are unfolding everywhere, and our social bonds and community engagement appear more distant than ever.
Or does it just seem that way?
If we take a step back just a couple of years, we had a very different perspective that is worth remembering and taking forward as those memories start to fade.
Amidst the confusion, anxiety, and fear of the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic, we all took a deep pause. Without distractions, we were able to focus on the important. Synchronously with the first lockdown announcement, public health agencies began promoting safe activities. Without much surprise, almost all of them involved the outdoors and being immersed in nature. Walking, hiking, biking, roller blading; these merchandise items flew off shelves just as fast as skis, snowmobiles, and fat bikes did. Not to mention everybody was baking bread and planting seeds in soil, many for the first time in their lives!
We found connections by connecting with and within nature.
As the lockdown progressed, we celebrated stories showing how the retreat of human impact allowed nature the room to thrive. Whether it be clearer skies, fewer cars on the roads, or less garbage in nature areas, we could see the human impact.
Yet within almost moments of relaxation of restrictions, our old ways returned. Our newfound appreciation gave way to the rush for normalcy.
Can we do better than normalcy?
We think of our human normalcy as being set apart from nature. In control. We live in houses, drive cars, and eat food which is specially grown to feed us; and nature exists “somewhere” else. Somewhere where you can go on your terms. But there are examples from nature that do provide us valuable insight and one of the is in the form of a fungus, Armillaria solidipes (honey fungus).
Armillaria solidipes
Like humans, this honey fungus has enormous potential to affect its local environment. One of these organisms lives in Oregon’s Malheur National Forest and covers 3.7 square miles (2,400 acres) and is roughly 8,000 years old and weighs over 34,000 tons, making it both the single largest and heaviest terrestrial organism on the planet.
But interesting, this remarkable fungus is not a product of individual success. It is a product of connections, where individuals connecting together strengthen and enlarge the whole.
Honey fungi grow in individual networks using fibers called mycelia. Mycelia work in a similar fashion to plant roots whereby they take water and nutrients from the soil. At the same time, they make chemicals that are shared with other soil organisms. When mycelia from different individual honey fungus bodies meet, they can attempt to fuse to each other. When the mycelia successfully fuse to each other, they link their very large fungal bodies together. This, in turn, has created the largest terrestrial organism on the planet.
All. Accomplished. By. Connections.
This giant organism plays an essential role soil development and maintenance, with mycelium working to prevent soil erosion. It also happens to be a parasite, killing and consuming conifer trees, and has wrecked havoc on Fir stands throughout the area.
I can’t help but compare this fungus–built by connections–to us, as humans. We are more connected than ever before and our potential to impact our environment (positively or negatively) has never been greater.
We must choose to grow positive connections with positive impacts.
And you (yes you!) are likely doing exactly that and reaping the rewards of those natural connections that you have carefully nourished. As gardeners tend to their plants, we develop a deep appreciation for the environment, understanding the intricate relationships between soil, water, sunlight, and living organisms. This hands-on interaction promotes mindfulness and a sense of responsibility toward ecological health.
The act of nurturing plants from seeds to full bloom cultivates patience and respect for the time it takes for nature to flourish and reinforces the idea that the best things are worth waiting for and done for others. What an incredible feeling of joy it is when we see pollinators thriving on the plants we planted, along with the birds and biodiversity that they in turn support.
As we grow these connections, we show our neighbours, friends, and visitors a living example of this positivity; making it so much easier to follow themselves.
Our stewardship mentality that encourages a harmonious coexistence with the natural world needs water and sunlight and effort, just like our gardens. Late July is the perfect time to reset from a busy year, giving us the opportunity to embrace a slower pace and regain balance, prioritize self-care, and set intentions for the rest of the year with renewed energy and clarity.
Let’s prioritize nature and reap the rewards of those natural connections with those around us!
Photo Credit: Keith Riggs. (2012). United States Forest Service
The Peterborough & Area Master Gardeners 