The Walden Effect: Farming, simple living, permaculture, and invention.

Fall colors

Red peppers

What does early fall look like on our farm?  It's all about fall colors, fall flowers, and (of course) the fall garden.

For us, fall colors come in the form of red peppers.  Since we prefer our peppers ripe and raw, I don't put in the effort to start a bunch of plants early.  Instead, we just wait until the days start to chill down for this annual treat.  (We also have the more traditional fall colors in the woods, with buckeyes and blackgum having colored up weeks ago.)


Jewelweed

The fall flowers, of course, are still blooming like crazy.  I particularly enjoy the jewelweed, which attracts hummingbirds (and is so easy to rip up that I let it go to seed even at garden edges).  All these fall flowers mean the nectar flow is continuing, and bees (wild and cultivated) are everywhere.

Baby Brussels sprout
plant

The fall garden is up and running, too, although we're not eating from it yet.  I figure pea flowers a week ago mean we'll get our first succulent nibbles soon.

While we wait, I've been counting the rather excessive number of Brussels sprouts I installed this year.  Last year, only four plants were in a sunny enough spot to bear, and we loved the vegetable so much we opted to quadruple its square footage this year.  But then I got spooked by the early onset of tomato blight and set out another dozen or so Brussels sprouts between the ailing vines.  Is it possible we'll get sick of Brussels sprouts this winter?


Any signs of fall showing up in your neck of the woods?

Our chicken waterer is the POOP-free solution to a filthy homestead problem.


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About us: Anna Hess and Mark Hamilton spent over a decade living self-sufficiently in the mountains of Virginia before moving north to start over from scratch in the foothills of Ohio. They've experimented with permaculture, no-till gardening, trailersteading, home-based microbusinesses and much more, writing about their adventures in both blogs and books.



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We always loved Fall as well! The colors,the smells,the cooler temps... :D

Your tomato looks delicious :)

Comment by Stephen in Eastern TN Thu Sep 5 11:16:31 2013

Anna,

One can never tire of Brussels sprouts! When roasted with olive oil and balsamic vinegar we tend to fight over them. I also cut them in half and sautée them in a pan with some really good butter or bacon grease (we still haven't purchased buttercup yet....yes I have already named my milk cow even though she doesn't yet exist!)...it is a treat is as wonderful as homemade candy.

I posted a similar blog entry about fall windflowers over at crookedrowfarm.com...lots of photos!

My granny taught me how to make a poison ivy antidote out of jewelweed in the form of ice cubes you rub on the skin....it is quite effective, though im not allergic so I never make it (a quick google search reveals the method of preperation).Turns out the two often grow in close proximity to each other as well.

On another note, I was wondering if you keep a list of blogs you follow? I am always looking for some good morning reading!

Best wishes for a bountiful fall harvest going your way!

Comment by Robert Thu Sep 5 15:10:46 2013





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