As we head into a long weekend for some (not many gardeners) celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day (also Columbus Day), I want to remind us all that we garden here in the Berkshires on the ancestral homeland of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans, currently living in Wisconsin. This weekend, I rededicate myself to caring for this area by returning nutrients to the soil after harvest and reducing the effects of invasive plants and insects.
For example, you have heard it before, but please do not use non-native bittersweet for autumn decoration outdoors. Sprays along a mantel for indoor display are fine, but once dry, seal them up and put them in the trash. Birds will transport the seeds otherwise. Though the berries are sweet, they provide no nutrition to wild birds and pose a serious ecological threat.
Start watching the weather for alerts of frost. Winter squashes—pumpkins, acorn, butternut, and the like—should be picked before frost and moved to a warm, dry location to cure; that is when the outer skin hardens. Shift to a cooler, long-term storage that stays around 55 degrees with relative humidity of 50 to 70 percent. Too high and moisture will condensate around the stem causing rot; too low and the squash dries out.
When getting fall décor for a porch display, consider choosing edible squash that won’t go to waste. Squash can be easily baked on a cookie sheet, pureed, and frozen for use all winter to thicken soups and add flavor to cookies or muffins. Yum!
Spring-flowering bulbs can be planted now. A trick for a natural look is to toss a collection of 10 to 20 bulbs over your shoulder and plant them where they land.
Daffodil bulbs (Narcissus varieties) are poisonous to rodents, and pests will leave the bulbs, leaves, and flowers alone. They come in shades of white to orange, trumpet style or double flowers too. Daffodils are the lazy way to enjoy spring bulbs for weeks. Others that are somewhat pest resistant are Snowdrops (Galanthus), Scilla, Chionodoxa, Fritillaria, and Allium. I have found that squirrels, chipmunks, and voles may still dig these up mostly for their own convenience. Because I have loosened the soil, they find it easier to bury their cache of acorns, walnuts, or butternuts.
Cover newly planted bulbs with chicken wire to prevent animals from digging them up. Tulips, hyacinth, and crocus can benefit from a bulb cage. Plant these bulbs in groups wrapped in a simple box of hardware cloth. The metal prevents voles from destroying the bulbs, but you still need to use a repellent where deer or rabbits may eat the flower buds in spring. I have contributed to this post about growing spring-flowering bulbs if you want to learn more. But generally, plant bulbs to a depth three times their length in a sunny location. And remember, since most bulbs will bloom before deciduous trees leaf out completely, you can plant bulbs under them too. I loved my hyacinth flowers that bloomed around a lilac this past spring.
I have taken photos of my summer-blooming corm-type bulbs, Gladiolus, Crocosmia, and Acidanthera—while in bloom and even when gone to seed. I will need these physical clues later when I dig up the bulbs for winter storage.
While nights are getting cooler, forecasts don’t show a frost until late October. Nevertheless, save annual garden herbs by chopping with a mix of oil, salt, and pepper. Freeze the mix to use in winter in soups or sauces for a taste of summer. I also like to cut back the perennial herbs of tarragon, oregano, and thyme to dry since frost will kill the foliage.
For fresh kitchen herbs, sprinkle parsley or basil seed onto the surface of regular potting mix, moisten, and put in a sunny window to sprout. Snip off herb tips once plants reach four to six inches tall, and snip no more than a third of the plants at a time.
Deer ticks love this cool weather and will be more active now until snow falls. Protect yourself from ticks before going into the garden or woods with a strong repellent sprayed on exterior clothing. And embrace the style choice of tucking your pant legs into your socks. You will thank me.
I call myself the Lazy Berkshire Gardener because I don’t want to work too hard in my gardens. I want to enjoy them. I find it easier to observe my landscape and let the compost happen, the water pool up, or daisies to self-sow. I look for ways to do the minimum task for the biggest impact. For example, mulching is better than spraying and much better than weeding all season. I look for beautiful, low-maintenance plants that thrive in or at least tolerate my garden conditions. Plus, I am willing to live with the consequences if I miss something.
