Fall To-Dos at Maison BLUM
It’s hard to believe it’s only been ten days since that bright-blue day filled with cosmos and sunflowers, amaranth, apple cider, and Ontario blue plums. Our first gathering of the Blooming Valley Garden Club was a resounding success, and I’m still riding the high of it. I’m truly excited about the potential this group has to grow and learn together.
We had a solid turnout of ten people, a lovely mix of seasoned gardeners and those who might call themselves garden-curious. We spent time sharing early gardening memories, where we are in our journeys now, and where we’d like to go. The conversation was generous, enlightening, and full of helpful advice. We also tossed around ideas for future events and workshops, and there was enthusiastic support for the dream of creating a community garden right here in town.
Our next meeting will be on Saturday, November 29, from 10:30 to 11:30, once again at Café la Ruche in Huntingdon. I’ll be doing a garland-making demo using found materials from the forest, plus a length of twine.
Tomorrow, we head back to Maison BLUM for a long Thanksgiving weekend. I’m looking forward to trading city clothes for overalls and mucky boots, and getting one last session in the garden before the first frost arrives.
What’s on the Garden To-Do List This Weekend?
Today’s (long!) post lays out my garden plans for the weekend, along with the resources I’ve been consulting. If you're working through your own fall garden tasks, I hope this helps or inspires. Let’s dig in!
1. Final Harvests (for me, at least…)
One day, I dream of having a greenhouse to extend the season, but for now, I live between city and country. Since I won’t be back at the garden until after the first projected frost (it’s running late this year—usually around September 27), I’m harvesting everything I can this weekend.
Still in the ground: eggplants (destined for a batch of eggplant parmigiana for a dear friend*), kale, Savoy cabbage, and a few pumpkins. Hopefully, the broccoli that was just starting to flower ten days ago survived the heat. I’m also expecting some plump kohlrabi**, and maybe a few lingering tomatoes—though the plants looked pretty scraggly when I left.
In the herb garden, there’s plenty to harvest and dehydrate. For winter tisanes, I’ll be collecting rosehips, which are rich in Vitamin C. And it’s finally time to harvest my Glass Gem corn—some for popping***, and some to hang as decorative bundles on the front door. I love this variety for its soft, stained-glass colours. Photos to come!
*Considering adding capers to the eggplant parm, inspired by Alison Roman: Recipe here
**Kohlrabi and aïoli: a perfect pairing I learned from “Mamoon” in Oupia, France. Try this aïoli recipe
***Want to grow or pop your own Glass Gem corn? Here’s how
2. Dealing with Spent Annuals
If annual plants are healthy, I’ll leave them in the ground to break down naturally or cut them at the base and use them as mulch. Diseased or pest-infested plants, though, go straight to the garbage (not compost or municipal brown bins), since they can carry pathogens into next year.
Here’s a good overview:
What to do with your annuals at season’s end
3. Building Soil Health
This one’s big. My garden didn’t thrive as much this year, and I suspect the combo of drought and depleted soil is to blame. I had mistakenly assumed that the cow manure I added in year one would keep feeding the beds longer than it has.
So this weekend, I’m making “lasagna.” Each bed will be topped with alternating layers of:
Newspaper or brown cardboard (no plastic coating or tape)
Horse manure (thanks to a friend’s farm!)
Chopped leaves
Grass clippings
Hay
More leaves
Wood mulch
A light sprinkle of wood ash*
*Lasagna gardening 101: How to build a bed
*Why you should skip peat moss: Go peat-free
*A smart approach to using wood ash: Read this
4. Creating New Beds
We cleared a bit of new ground this summer, and now is a great time to set it up for spring. I’ll use the same no-dig, lasagna method mentioned above, focusing on a shadier area where I plan to grow perennials that prefer dappled light.
5. Weeding
Fall is ideal for tackling tough perennial weeds. I won’t be able to clear every dandelion from the lawn, but I’ll focus on the main garden and walkways. No herbicides—just hand-pulling.
Burdock, bindweed, ragweed, and the dreaded Poison Parsnip (carefully!) are on my hit list. That said, I do embrace some “weeds,” especially those that offer beauty, biodiversity, or both: Lamb’s Ear, Milkweed, Chicory, Joe Pye Weed, Morning Glory, Queen Anne’s Lace, Purslane, Canada Thistle, and Common Evening Primrose.
Want help identifying what to pull and what to keep? Here’s a great guide
6. Collecting Seeds
I haven’t saved many seeds in the past, aside from sunflower and lupin seeds, but I’d like to be more intentional this year.
While I’ll leave plenty of seed heads in place for the birds and self-seeding, I also plan to collect favourites like:
Green Envy Zinnias
Apricotta Cosmos
Blue Boy
Hopi Red Dye Amaranth
Some of the amaranth will go into porridge; if I harvest enough, I’ll try grinding it into flour for chapattis. My longer-term goal is to save seeds from everything in the veg patch.
7. Fall Planting
This is a great time to plant trees, shrubs, and hardy perennials. While I’m not buying new plants this fall (spring’s fruit tree splurge maxed out the budget), I will be dividing and replanting some existing perennials and adding flower bulbs and garlic.
I’ll also dig up my gladioli corms to dry and store for the winter. I’m not into dahlias yet—but never say never!
8. Draining and Storing Hoses and Hardware
A must-do. The thought of losing expensive equipment to frost makes me wince. I’ll be draining and storing everything I can before we leave.
9. Overwintering
I don’t have much indoor space in the city, so I won’t attempt to overwinter many tender perennials. But I’ll be bringing in my potted Baby Blue Spiral Eucalyptus and a rosemary plant.
My neighbour Tony, an incredible gardener originally from Italy, grows figs in massive pots and buries them in trenches for winter. That level of dedication inspires me. I may not be there yet, but I’m learning.
That’s it for today!
I hope this list and the resources included have sparked some ideas for your own garden work this fall. Feel free to share your thoughts, tips, or additions—either via the Bookings page on this site, or on the Blooming Valley Garden Club Facebook wall: Facebook link
Wishing you all a beautiful Thanksgiving weekend and plenty of satisfying time in the garden.
