Hello Believers That Texas Actually Does Have a Fall!

The thermometer that hangs on our front porch post at the house actually shattered this morning. In his usual morning greeting that was way more enthusiastic than normal, our dog Jake bounced and pounced violently enough to actually vibrate the plastic disk off it’s nail and send it clattering on the ground. Jake does this every year…his energy levels go off the charts in celebration of cooler weather, and I can’t help but feel a little burst myself. It’s a great reminder that it’s time to start thinking about Pumpkin Beer, Leaf Piles, and Fall Harvest!

BIOGARDENER FARMS – FALL
Fall is the secret season for Texas gardeners. Don’t be shy about giving up on those tomatoes and peppers… throw them in the compost pile, add some fresh compost to your beds, and plant some seed! Most everything for this season is grown from seed as they are hard to transplant: broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, peas, beets, carrots, swiss chard, garlic, greens, lettuce, mustard, onion, radish, shallots, spinach, turnips, and cucumbers are all great fall suspects. Johnny seeds is a great mail-order source for seeds: http://www.johnnyseeds.com/. The trick is figuring out the best varieties to use for your plot, which is one of those little hard-earned secrets that veteran growers usually keep close to their chest. But we might know of a little bird who’s peeping softly….

For those who “joined” BioGardener Farms earlier this year, yes, it was a brutal summer and no, you didn’t do anything wrong to cause pretty much everything to die or otherwise not make fruit. We completely gave up on our garden at the house early on, so most of you did much better than I did. All the more reason to be excited about another chance at a new season!

FALL GARDEN WORKSHOP
Our friends at Green Corn Project are hosting a Bio-Intensive Garden workshop Saturday Oct. 4. Farmers Max Elliot and Amy Crowell will be leading hands-on activities to teach how to grow food from seed, using small spaces to produce veggies, how to companion plant, and other backyard garden practices appropriate for Austin. See http://www.greencornproject.org/ for more info.

OCTOBER – TIME FOR ORGANIC FERTILIZER
October is generally a good time to apply organic fertilizer to lawns. Cost is about $55 for average lawns, please let us know if you are interested and we will get you on the schedule.

WILDFLOWER SEEDS
It’s also the season to spread wildflower seeds! If you’re looking to vivify an open field, greenbelt, or other infrequently mowed area, sow now for a big springtime show. Native American Seed in Junction, TX is a great source for quality seeds: http://www.nativeamericanseed.com/

NEXT TIME
We are in full scramble mode for Fall installation projects, and will be sharing some landscaping lessons learned and winter time suggestions over the next couple months, including some musings on exactly what it means to be an organic gardener/landscaper. Thanks for making this summer the biggest we’ve ever had, thanks for supporting the local little guys, and thanks for the love.

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