Enjoy!

Beet Loaf Recipe

The most widely consumed fruit in the world, most people have no idea that the ‘apple’ in the Garden of Eden was most likely a banana. And that the ubiquitous bananas seen in every grocery store are threatened with extinction from several pathogens due to the fact that they all are clones and share the exact same DNA. Dan Koeppel tells all in this excellent book the peels back the past and predicts the future in

“Banana, the Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World.”

 Brussels sprouts, kale, carrots, parsley, leeks and salad greens are still waiting patiently in the soil for their time at the dinner table. Many of these veggies were planted back in the spring and have been slowly growing while the tropical veggies of summer did their annual thing of flowering and fruiting during the long hot days of July and August.

Now is the time to plan your vegetable garden for next year. Now is the time to decide on where to locate the garden. Full sun is best, but often hard to find. Six hours of direct sun is the minimum for optimum production. Remember that the sun is very low in the sky now, but will be rising and setting further north and arching much higher during the growing season.

 Now is the time to mow the grass as short as possible and cover it over with newspaper or cardboard. Now is the time to find that source of manure or compost to collect and spread over the area. Do it now so that you will have a head start on spring and can spend the winter months day dreaming of the ideal vegetable garden.

 After months of waiting, trycyrtis, the toad lily, presents her petite purple splashed posies for approval.

In the south, Autumn's garden superstars are the many Camellias that grace the shady woodlands.

Old fashion mums never fail to delight with their delightful daisy shapes.

Trees contribute their fiery finery to fall's festivities. But perhaps one of the most unique phenomenon one will find this time of year is contributed by the Katsura tree. The leaves turn yellow, then brown when they fall, but the browned leaves emite the fragrance of burnt sugar or caramel. It is a unique aspect of this tree and when I was at the Arboretum this past week, that sugary smell stopped me in my tracks. If you know of any Katsuras near you, do take the time and pay them a visit, the smell is tantalizing.