Learn a lesson from the squirrels. They’re smarter than you think. Watch, learn, enjoy.
Learn a lesson from the squirrels. They’re smarter than you think. Watch, learn, enjoy.
As fall colors mesmerize us and the cool crisp air refreshes us, there is a seasonal treat that doesn’t involve apples or pumpkin. It’s Maple leaves. Yes deep fried maple leaves! Maple I can explain…… It is something I included in my book “I Just Wet My Plants” chapter 9 “Lettuce Party like it’s 1999.” It’s a Japanese snack called momiji tempura, or deep-fried maple leaves made with a sweet tempura batter. I love the tradition in the Japanese town of Minoh City where they deep fry the maple tree leaves. Minoh is known for its beautiful Japanese Maple trees ablaze in color in fall. It’s not fast food. It takes patience and about a year to prepare. Perfect yellow leaves from Maple trees are hand selected and then packed in salt and left for a year. The salt is then shaken off the leaves and leaves are individually deep fried in...
I consider September through November the second half of the gardening season. It’s not the end. The perfect time to both enjoy and improve your plot in life. If you want to establish a great lawn and landscape be out there in the fall season working on it. September to November the soil is still warm, we generally get sufficient rainfall and the air temperature cools. Plants put their effort into root establishment instead of top growth followed by the resting dormancy of winter. It’s a great time of year to plant, move plants or split your plants. When you feed landscape plants in fall even though air temperatures are dropping, soil temperatures remain warm enough for roots to benefit from nutrients giving them a jump start on next year’s growing season. Take me to your Weeder. Most people focus attention on weed killing in spring and summer. It is a good time of year for...
Hard frost last night. We had it coming after a long and warm growing season. But it’s not the end. Like I say in my book a success is not the end a failure is not the end. It’s the beginning of something new. Don’t throw in the trowel. This may be the end of the “growing” season but it is not the end of the “gardening” season. The soil is still warm and roots will remain active in that soil. With little stress on the top of the plant as it shuts down for winter and sends food reserves into the root system, it’s a great time to move plants. Have a plant that has overgrown it’s space? Want to rearrange your “hort-folio?” This is a great time to move a plant or put a new one in the ground. One of my favorite things to do in late October is establish new planting beds for next year. But who wants to dig up sod or rent a...
People ask me…..Rick why do you always say Fall is one of your favorite times of year to garden? Well first…. I like Autumn….that makes me the fall guy. But a more important reason is it is one of the most efficient and effective times of the year to plant. It’s also a time for pretty mums, adorable pansies and colorful foliage. Cute. That’s why they call it Awwwtumn. 13 reasons why Fall is for planting: 1. Plants in Fall put their efforts into establishment (roots) instead of a focus on top growth (spring) 2. In Fall the soil is warm compared to spring making it easier to work with….and again great for root establishment. 3. You can effectively feed woody plants in Fall. Even though air temperatures drop the soil stays warm often all the way to Christmas! Hoe Hoe Hoe. The plant can take in the fertilizer and will get next spring off on the right foot! 4. We generally get plenty of...
