›› Kayla Seifried
On September 22nd, Equinox arrived; the time when balance returns, equal light and equal dark accompanied by the time of fall harvest. Plants in the garden begin to change colour and leaves begin to fall—it’s the time we offer gratitude for all the garden has provided in the past bountiful summer, and begin to prepare our yards, gardens, homes, and hearts for the shorter, darker times that are to come.
For many people in Fernwood, 2020 was their first year gardening; their first experience sowing a bean seed, covering soil in mulch, or watching a tomato seedling grow. Take stock and appreciate what worked and what didn’t, and take a moment to ponder all the seen and unseen creatures that played a role in your gardens successes and failures! They all have some role in the intricate web of this life we are living. I’m personally grateful for how being outside with the soil and plants helped me navigate the spring and summer pandemic times in a way that supported my mental health. How did your garden nourish you?
In the season of thanksgiving pausing to reflect on the gifts of the garden supports my inspiration and ambition to keep my living soil healthy and prepare it for winter.
Here are a few things that I will be focusing on in October: trimming down dead plants, leaving roots of plants in the soil to decompose; covering the soil with a generous amount of leaves to protect, nourish, and insulate soil; collecting the last harvests (even green tomatoes may ripen indoors after they have been picked, and if not, they make a fine green tomato chow!); saving seeds to sow again next year (bean and pea seeds are an easy place to start); and planting my garlic around thanksgiving weekend.
As your autumnal reflection process continues, perhaps you’ll make a list of what knowledge and skills you’d like to build upon this winter.
Check out the Compost Education Centre’s in-person and online adult and child/youth offerings as well as our online factsheets to see what is possible. Visit us in person at 1216 North Park Street or online at compost.bc.ca.
