To all those that welcome the cooler and slower months — this is my annual announcement that we have finally made it to September! Truly my favorite time of year, I can’t wait for the fall colors and temperatures to come around. I’ve already observed so many trees in the region changing from deep greens to orange and red shades, especially along roadsides and different hiking trails.
This summer was my first time planting a small garden at our home. I was so excited to get started in April, I went to the store and bought about a dozen different seeds, everything from annuals and perennials, to vegetables and herbs. Just this past weekend, my mammoth sunflowers I planted with seeds that I bought from Plant Masters fully bloomed, opening into a giant but glorious yellow flower head that might as well imitate the sun.
I also filled the garden with some things that I bought from local plant nurseries, like our marigolds, petunias, rosemary, snapdragons, and dahlias, just to name a few. They all started in little containers and have since fully bloomed and expanded into different parts of the garden.
Our green pepper plant, a favorite of mine and my mother’s, has produced almost a dozen peppers, while I have harvested just a few banana and hot peppers thus far. Still waiting on the tomatoes, cucumbers, and corn to ripen a bit more though.
Seeing what we have been able to bring into our home to cook with and eat has been so satisfying, especially knowing that my daily efforts of tending to the plants have paid off. Getting into that routine of going outside, pulling out weeds, watering each plant, and cleaning up gardening areas previously untouched has definitely been a highlight of my summer days. It really gets you to appreciate the steps and patience necessary to grow beautiful things that can in turn nurture yourself and the wildlife that makes where we live so special.
Last week, we were all busy working on stories for our fall home and garden section in the paper, and a couple of the articles I wrote gave me the chance to circle back in with plant nursery staff and what they have to offer at this time of year. At Four Season Nursery, I spoke with the owner, Brian, who gave me a very informative tour of his property, noting how things came to be what they are today. He said the land the nursery rests on used to be cornfi elds, but with his landscape expertise, continuous efforts, and pure love for growing, has been totally transformed.
Nearly 40 years later, people can find sprawling trees and gardens at the nursery filled with perennials, native plants, and various shrubs to pass on to the next eager gardener. What took decades to design and nurture now helps pollinators and birds that feed on the native fruits, seeds, and plants sold, making for a healthier ecosystem in need of all the support it can get.
I hope everyone gets to reap the benefits of what they have sown this summer — gardening related or not. And while it may take weeks, months, or even decades to see something progress and flourish in the way that you imagine, determination and hard work always pays off in the end.
