Falling in Love and Fall Gold Redemption Days

Falling in Love & Fall Gold Redemption Days
September 2011

Greetings!

They say that you never forget your first love. Mine was the little blond haired boy in 4th grade that sat across the room from me. Predictably, that relationship was doomed to the fate that follows most first loves. But I learned a few things. Sometimes you have a love that you pursue. Sometimes there is a love that pursues you. And sometimes it just comes along out of the blue and hits you!

It's been a very interesting month at our house. The kiddo is launched and off to college and Vic and I are officially "empty nesters." While I thought that this would be odd, since we've had the last two summers to "practice" when Christopher has been in summer programs, its been OK.
Like many empty nesters, one thing I discovered is the abundance of time that I now have on my hands. And something totally unexpected happened - an old passion resurrected itself.

July and August were pretty brutal gardening months. Between the heat and the dry summer, like many people, I didn't feel much like gardening. Ah, but then came September. The cooler air, the crisp fragrance of Fall, the shorter days and better sleeping and I'm ready to garden once again. And guess what? Since I now have all of that free time, I've fallen in love with gardening all over again!

This month I'm going to tell you about some things that make gardening in the Fall, well... fun! I'm going to share a few secrets to make products we have work even better, along with a few tips I've learned along the way. I'm also going to give you some other ways to keep the season going, in case you are like me, and want to fall in love with your garden all over again!

Fall in Love with Fall Gardening

Yellow Mum

Fall has always been my favorite time of year. OK, I'll admit it. I was a bit odd. I was the kid that loved going back to school. I loved crisp, clear, Fall nights. I love apples, pumpkins, cider and just about everything that goes with the season. And this year, I'm playing in the garden again. Here are some of the things I've discovered that may make Fall gardening even more enjoyable.

Aside from having a lot of time on my hands, one thing that got me interested in Fall gardening again was the addition of our seed line this year. We have all of the 2012 seeds in now and as I started to read the packages, I realized that there really are a lot of things that can be planted now for an additional harvest yet this year. Spinach, lettuce, radishes, cole crops, and more. I love the idea of keeping the grocery bills in line while knowing how and where my food was grown. You can easily extend your growing season if you have a greenhouse, use row cover, or plant on a sunny window indoors. I challenge you to try something new. For a colorful garden, try Bright Lights Swiss Chard. How about Frosty Peas or Snow Peas? Mizuna, mesculun, and lettuce will thrive in cool temperatures. And spinach and radishes along with other cold crops will produce a fabulous Fall vegetable garden.

Tomatoes seem to have been the gardener's challenge this year. Mine are just starting to ripen and I have a feeling that we're going to have a lot of green ones. Tomatoes can be picked green, wrappd in newspaper, placed in a dark spot and they will slowly ripen. Or place them on a windowsill to ripen. However, if you are tired of picking green tomatoes at the end of the season, try Florel. Florel is a product that has been around for years, but many people don't realize all of its uses. Florel is ethylene gas which is commonly used to eliminate undesirable fruit from trees such as crabapples. But Florel has another use as well. Florel works well to help ripen tomatoes. Use it, and you'll have your crop in about 10 days- well before the first frost. If you want to finish up your tomato harvest, either so that you can get your canning completed, or so that you can get your garden cleaned up, try Florel.

In Colorado Mother Nature is a changeable lady. It seems we go from driving snow to broiling heat and back again. The first frosts of winter are right around the corner and one of my staff gals said that there has already been snow in the La Platas. I needed a protectant to keep my fruit, vegetables and flowers blooming through the variable Fall season. Freeze-Pruf turned out to be the answer. It's a topical organic spray that you apply to your plants which will help lower their cold tolerance by up to 9 degrees. Think of it as anti-freeze for your plants. It is safe to use on fruits and vegetables, as well as flowers and other ornamental plants. The trick with Freeze-Pruf though is to use it well ahead of a frost. It needs some time to work through the plant's capillary system in order to protect it, so you can't purchase this, spray it on that afternoon and expect it to work that night. This one takes a little advance planning but is well worth the effort. In our area, Freeze-Pruf is a "must have."

Vic and I have fought for years over the next issue. I adore irises. So much so that I let them go way too long without dividing them because I love to see big, beautiful clumps that continue to grow larger each year. Vic likes to divide them and now simply does it when I'm not looking because he knows the squalking he'd have to endure if I knew when he was doing it. Within the next month as things begin to go dormant, it's time to think about dividing your perennials. Aside from the fact that they can get to be too big or thick, many times you may want some elsewhere in the garden. Splitting can improve the health of the plant because it gives the roots a chance to breathe and throw out new roots. It seems heartless, but the least damaging way to divide the plant is to run a shovel through the middle of the clump. Then dig up the part that you wish to transplant, leaving the rest of the clump undisturbed. This way, you will have a good amount whose roots remain intact. If the plant is really large, divide again. Irises, daylilies, daisies, and lavender are the ones in my yard that usually need attention, but divide anything that is getting bigger than you'd like or ones which you'd like to control. Even though Vic divides them behind my back, the fun for me comes in looking forward to new blooms each spring, since many times, anticipating his actions in advance, I'll simply plant a new batch each Fall!

What's Growing On at Four Seasons?

~ FALL GOLD- It's what you've been waiting for! Fall Gold Redemption Days run from September 15-30th! Good on everything in the store except a gift certificate, it's a great way to stock up on Fall planting needs or perhaps treat yourself to that "something special" you've had your eye on all season!

~ Seasonal Sampler - Join us on Saturday, September 17th as we kick off Fall Gold with our popular tasting "Seasonal Sampler." We'll be tasting the new food mixes for this season. Gail is cooking, so come out to sample the new soup, dip, dessert and pasta mixes.

~ Blood Drive - Saturday, September 24th from 10am - 2 pm. Last year we had the Bloodmobile come out as a donation to the mom of one of our staff members who needed blood. We filled all of the time slots and United Blood Services asked us to do it again. If you can donate, please call us at 565-8274 for an appointment. Thank you!

~ NEW! Seeds- For the first time, we have our entire line of spring seeds in now for 2012. But, many people don't realize that you can still plant for a Fall 2011 harvest. Check out some of the new seeds today.

~ Fall Mums- bring any garden to life with our harvest of Fall colors.

~ Fall Pansies- Pansies are fabulous, winter well here, and produce the first color in your garden next spring. They're one of my favorite flowers because of their versatility!

~Spring Bulbs- Whether you prefer tulips, daffodils, hyacinths or something else, the magic flowers of spring begin with Fall bulbs. Even though our shipment was delayed due to Hurricane Irene, they're in the store now and ready to go!

~ Houseplants and Violets- We've just received a new shipment of both of these and there are some beautiful and unusual new plants to add color to your indoors.

~ Perennials, Trees, and Shrubs- Fall really is for planting these. Surround yourself with autumn beauty with a great new tree, shrub or perennial. Check out John's special "Chuckie Brown" area in the nursery for a tree or shrub that needs a new, loving home.

Remember all of the time that I now have on my hands? Well, look out because now I am free to pursue things that I hadn't had time to do properly in the past. So another delight this month was the rediscovery of the Mesa Verde Gardeners club. I say rediscovery because although we have been involved with them for years on a professional level, Vic and I have decided to become more active on a personal level as well. This organization has some warm, wonderful folks in it, and they are all anxious to help anyone learn more about gardening in our challenging area. If you are looking for a way to get involved in the community and a great group of people, women and men, then contact me and I'll put you in touch with them.

Sometimes new passions come in unexpected places. Maybe it's a new hobby. Maybe it's a new friendship. Maybe it's the blessing of having time to stop and smell the roses once again. Perhaps it's the rediscovery of an old pleasure. I hope you'll discover a love of your own this Fall.