The Garden Gate: Fall Garden Plans

How are you today? I see you found the note I left to meet me at The Garden Gate. I brought us some ice cold lemonade to keep us cool. It is so hot these days it is hard to think about getting ready for the fall, but that is just what we are doing. It is time to start the preparation of our soil, and planting for our fall crops.

The first thing we do is prepare our soil. If you don't know what kind of soil you have the very best way to find out is take a sample to your County Extension Office. Just give them a call they can tell you exactly how to prepare your soil sample and when they can test it for you. They will be able to tell you the right mix of compost to use for your soil. The right balance of nutrient's in your soil is very important.


Here at the Country Cottage we use our own compost. We compost all year round. We compost every thing except, meat, poultry, and dairy products, everything else including paper goes into the compost. We recently emptied the bin in a new flower bed, so it is a good time to share with you how we start our compost.

• We purchased our compost bin at the local hardware store. 

• We had a pile of grass clippings that we let dry out, which did not take long in this hot sun. 

• Then we put a thick layer of the dry grass, then a layer of the green grass clippings and other green clippings from the yard. 

• Then we put all of our vegetables scrapes on top of that. We recently pulled out our black eyed peas and green beans as they have stopped producing for the season. 

• They are all lined up and Leonard (AKA Tractor Man) runs the lawn mower over the old vines to mulch them and then in the compost bin they go.

• We stir the compost at least once a week with a long garden rake. There is no odor.

• If our bin fills up before we use it, we just bag it up and it is ready to go when we need it.

Composting is a great way to give back to the earth what God has so graciously given us. Just keep stirring and keep adding to the bin.

• The compost is great on the garden and very organic and the cost is only your labor...you can't beat that!

We will be planting some vegetables and some herbs for the fall. We will be planting Dill, Garlic, Parsley, Rainbow Chard, Kale, Carrots, Beets, Leeks and Turnip Greens. I will be ordering and picking up my seed this week for that list. My fall heirloom tomatoes are already planted and are doing well.

So get busy, get your soil ready, and your compost going. Get those seeds ready and I will let you know when I am planting. Be sure and let me know how you are doing with your fall garden plans. This will be fun sharing about our garden. I am so happy that you came by to see me today. Come back soon!

Peace and Joy
Miz Helen