Time on the lawn mower gives me the opportunity to dream, pray and reflect on the many blessings we experience. A recent spotting of a bright yellow leaf reminded me of earlier walks around our property with Sweet Thing number 1.
Whether it was as far back as preschool days at Main Street Presbyterian or early dismissal Wednesdays at New Hope, Swayze and I baked cakes and cookies, made messes with arts and crafts, made slime and more slime, read, authored books and explored the world around us.
On those walks, we saw where squirrels had been eating pine cones, the first yellow butterflies were spotted, saw leaves were changing colors, listened to bird songs, picked wildflowers, and located the spider lilies; a sure sign that fall would soon be here.
We grew up with lots of spider lilies. All the Junkin children got on the bus clutching a bouquet for their teachers. I grew up calling the red Lycoris that are beginning to pop up, spider lilies. Some refer to them as Naked Ladies, which was what our family called the pale pink lily that blooms mid-August.
If you do not have a few spider lilies in your landscape, watch around old house sites. It is a pass-along plant and I cherish the ones Daddy dug up from our home place and shared with me. The yellow and white varieties can also be found in your favorite garden center.
What about vegetables? Do you have your cool weather vegetable spot ready? It is time to plant broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and you might enjoy brussels sprouts. Collards should also be planted now. Personally, I am not a fan of collards. They look like oak leaves and have a not so pleasant aroma while cooking. Spinach and many varieties of turnip greens can be planted now until October. Turnip greens are easy to grow and do well with the longer cooler nights. They are rich in nutrients. Seeds can be sprinkled along the top of a plowed row in the garden.
Seeds may be scattered over a larger space (the turnip green patch). They will germinate in just a few days. They will be ready to harvest when the evening temperatures go below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The tender leaves can be pinched off and, in a few weeks, you will be able to harvest another “mess of greens.”
Memories of tender raw turnip green leaves on a cold homemade biscuit flood my mind. A raw purple top turnip would be tasty, also!
September is also a wonderful time to repot house plants. Be sure to prune the damaged foliage in the process.
Maintenance pruning of plants in your landscape needs to be done. The cooler temperatures make it more pleasing to work outdoors. Trim away dead limbs and those plants that are growing too close to any structure. Do not forget to trim back the plants that might be blocking your visibility along the driveway.
Keep those hummingbird feeders fresh and filled. Remember one quart of water to one cup sugar. Boil and completely cool before refilling your feeders.
Add the fallen leaves to your compost pile and do not forget to turn the pile or rotate your compost barrel.
As I look out the window, it is a bright light breezy day. I will have time to rake up a few of the limbs I trimmed yesterday, before heading to Gordo to pick up number 2 and number 3 from school. I will need to plan enough time to stop for chocolate milkshakes, too! The joys of being NanO!
Former elementary teacher and avid gardener Olivia Sansing lives in the New Hope community and shares timely tips on behalf of the Lowndes County Master Gardeners.
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