Just like that, somehow, it’s fall! I must have missed it sneaking up on us while I was watering the garden. Temperatures finally broke a little in early August, even if rain remains elusive. But overall the garden, and the gardeners who take care of it, are much happier these days.

You might think that with the cooler temperatures I’m starting to put the garden to bed for the winter. However, I have a terrible addiction to gardening and I’m totally unwilling to accept the end of the season. So, I’m hoping to keep growing in the garden well into October, and even November if the weather cooperates.

So what am I doing? Planting! In the past few weeks, we’ve put in some of our favorite cool season crops that repeat what we had in the garden in the spring – lettuce, Swiss chard, broccoli, collards and kale. We’ve also started carrots and radishes and even another run of peas. Still to come are bok choy and mustard. I’m hoping for a long slow fall, but some of these crops are so cold hardy that if the temperatures are right I might be able to keep them going in the garden into the winter.

It gets too cold around here for us to get grow anything that we could really get a good harvest from in January or February. Still, you’d be surprised what will overwinter to yield a very early spring crop. I’ve grown collards, kale, mustard and arugula through the winter and come March you can harvest some very delicious fresh greens. It’s said, and I think I agree, that these crops even taste a little sweeter when you pick them with the frost on the leaves. Greens grown this way do tend to bolt early in my experience, but that just means you can pull them to make way for another round of spring greens in April.

I’m also ordering garlic to plant this October for a harvest next summer. I love including garlic in my fall planting because it gives you something green to look at on those long cold days where the garden seems empty. Ideally, you should plant garlic about a month before the last frost in your area. That way the plants can send up shoots and begin to grow roots while the soil is warm in the late fall. Then they can hang out in the garden through the coldest days of winter and get a good jump on the growing season in spring. When I see cold temperatures in the forecast, I do like to heavily mulch my garlic with compost or straw to keep the bulbs protected. Other than that this set it and forget it crop is a great addition to the fall and winter garden.

We’re also preparing for our Fall Fireside. We had so much fun infusing simple syrups for lemonade at this summer’s Fireside that we’re doing the same again – with an autumnal twist! Stop by the garden on October 11 from 5:00 pm – sunset to sample herb infused vinegar and olive oil! Trust us; these infused condiments are so delicious they will have you running home to make your own. They are a great way to keep the flavor of fresh herbs in the kitchen through the winter. Plus they make great holiday gifts.

There’s still a lot to see growing in the garden right now. So stop by next time you’re at Tyler. We would love to show you around and celebrate all the beauty of the fall season.