Time to Put Your Garden to Rest by: Arleen M. Kaptur

You've worked hard and the harvest is definitely your reward. Your garden is starting to show "bare" spots as you pick the cream of the crop - from beans, to cabbages, to squash. You are proud and so is Mother Nature. You have done well. But.... Before you bed down your garden for a long winter's nap, there are a few things that still need your attention. Make plans and draw maps for next year's garden highlighting what worked and what did not seem to make the mark. Maybe next year you would like to add a rock garden for landscrape beauty or add herbs and flowers where veggies only grew. It is also time to visit those tag sales and stock up on containers for next year's garden. Add some new recipes to your collection using the fruits of your labor. Whether you can, freeze, or dry, notice what is to your liking and add what you are missing to next year's plan. Also, make a mental note of what fresh produce you are buying from the store. Is this something you would like to try to grow in your garden next year? Great time to gather in those ideas and suggestions for planning an even better effort next spring. With fresh produce just spilling over in stores, farmer markets, etc. try replacing processed foods with fresh grown and local. It is definitely more nutritious, your grocery bills will go down and your savings rise to use for "other" things, and if you try and garden as organically as you can, that chemical worry is gone. This season is getting ready to make way for winter and in the words of Laura Ingalls Wilder: "The real things have not changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what you have, to be happy with simple pleasures, and have courage when things go wrong." Now start getting a list of those books you really wanted to read in front of a roaring fire, or curled up with that warm, fuzzy blanket. A cup of cocoa and a few snacks and you are ready and set to watch the snow blow and the wind whip around your garden - all snug and bedded down. Life is so wonderful and so are you. ©Arleen M. Kaptur September, 2007

About the Author

Arleen M. Kaptur has written numerous articles for magazines and newspaspers. Her latest book will be out in 2008.