11) Autumn Harvests and Winter Preparations for Garden and Soul Regeneration.

 

This Season's Woe and Wonder

By Sindy Wakeham

In the UK, just looking out of the window or standing outside, autumn has arrived and it doesn’t care about the human calendar. Nature decides what season comes when.

The main season for almost two years has been autumn with days of normal seasons interspersed. Proper autumn is wonderful! I love all seasons in their place, but I’m not ready for autumn yet!

My garden is nowhere near as fruitful as it used to be with lower light levels, cooler and wetter weather and fewer hot sunny days than normal. The garden’s far behind and only beginning to set fruit that should be ripening already.

Urgency and Worry

The main harvest season is upon us for all our fruit and annual veg which we normally put up for the winter and early spring. Even so, I have only been harvesting carrots, parsnips and garlic along with herbs. Summer harvests are done but there are still tomatoes to ripen.

This time of year I’m normally already jamming (fruit), pickling, drying, freezing and storing many items between August and November specifically for winter use. Not only are the plants behind their normal patterns but so are my annual winter garden preparations.

Is it too late to prepare? Is it too late to hope for harvests?

NEVER! We gardeners are people of faith, religious or not. We plant seeds throughout the year not knowing for sure they will even germinate.

We are never sure what the weather will bring, what nature will throw at us nor if we will even have a harvest, yet we sow and grow and tend and nurture.

So what DO we do now?

Look closely. Get stuck in and before you know it, you’ll be swamped in all sorts of harvests. Take the time to check your garden and anything that could be a problem during the winter. I have a winter prepping video on my YouTube channel. 

Also think about the wildlife  and those that don't hibernate. Think about crop protection, rain water management and protecting timber and other items from the seasonal weather. 

Plan foraging forays. It's getting out in nature and familiar with cycles. I still have acorn flour from my last foraging and I'll be using that. Look out for the videos and recipes for that.

Nature is Generous and Abundant No Matter the Season.

Even if you don’t have much in the garden, there is still foraging as I've mentioned to harvest from and not all harvests are food.

Even in and probably because of all the rain we have had this year, blackberries (a super food we don’t need to cultivate) are plentiful this year and just coming into season now, as are elderberry.

Rosehips, and nettle seeds (also a super foods) are good this year too. Soon the apples, pears and other tree fruits (even found in the wild) will be ready and then the nuts (we’re not talking about people). In the garden, there are still pickings to be had.

If you are fortunate enough to have planned and have an awesome planning schedule for year round harvest...do share. It’s my aim to grow year round to eat more seasonally and reduce the amount of preserving and storage we need except for the usual summer annual veg.

I have been referring to Charles Dowding’s book on growing veg all year round to guide my transition to year round growing.

Winter Prepping in the Garden

Winter Prepping videos on YouTube

Besides the plants and food harvests, I’m catching up on winter prep for the garden and home. Right now it’s mostly garden. Tidy, put in order, fire wood sorting and checking (belated chimney sweep too) and making sure roofs (I grew up spelling it ‘rooves’), gutters and water butts are in perfect working order and repair.

I’ll be tidying up and prepping the veranda for a better seasonal use and decor to reflect autumn and winter so we can still use and enjoy the veranda as a garden room in those seasons.

The raised beds will also have protective coverings to protect the veg from either too much rain or cold so harvesting during the winter won’t be too difficult.  

In fact, I can even come up with more to-dos but I have also been making changes to the way I work in general for health and preparing myself for winter recuperation in preparation for the next year.

Autumn is a perfect time to store up, put to rest, slow down and get ready for a time of celebration and recharging. Nature does and so can we.

Autumn is a time to take stock and change the type of ‘work’ we and our gardens do. In the same way that spring brings an energy for cleaning, clearing out and preparation, so does autumn.The energy is enlivening to give us the needed oomph to prepare for hunkering down and regenerating.  

The Upside. Medicine for the Ills of the World.

"All the world's problems can be solved in a garden" (Bill Mollison)

I’m getting excited just thinking about it. The gloom I felt at the beginning of writing has been replaced with anticipation, motivation and excitement. That's the power of writing and I refer you to  my book in which I delve into the power of writing. There’s always something to be joyful about, no matter the situation or season.

I know it’s difficult in these times to get excited about much with all the crazy going on around the world. I know that gardening might be the last thing on your mind with all the financial, political and social upheavals we face everywhere, everyday.

I can promise because of my own experience that getting into the garden and nature is just the medicine or one of the healing and fortifying medicines to soothe an aching mind and heart. The home and garden, and nature are places of sanctuary as much as a temple or chapel.

These are all the thoughts I hope you take from this blog. I would LOVE to know what you are harvesting, preparing and storing for the winter.

What preparations are you making in your home and garden for the year’s rest and recharge?

Can you feel the seasonal energy change and are you excited for the next season yet?

I look forward to reading your comments.

Happy seasonal prepping everyone.