10.18.2023 | Ordinary Wednesday

A cool start to the morning here in the Carondelet Garden as the temperatures struggle to reach the lower 50s.  The skies are blue with a few puffy, white clouds and it looks to be an absolutely stunning day.  The 'Cherokee Chief' Dogwood is letting me know, in no uncertain terms, that Fall has arrived.  The picture doesn't do the red leaves justice.  A glorious site in the back garden to be sure.

We picked up the mulch we needed to finish the side garden yesterday so today is the day.  A bit of work to do but excited to finally get the side beds put under their Winter blanket.  The garlic and shallots are planted in the back bed with one new bed of garlic waiting to plant.  While Fall can seem like the end of the gardening season, for some things it is only the beginning.

What is your favorite kind of garlic to plant and use in the kitchen?  Softneck or Hardneck? Do you have a particular variety that you love?  I tried Music Garlic last year with so-so results.  Inchellium Red is my go-to for this year.  I do love garlic, so any garlic is good garlic for this old gardener.

They say that once gardening takes ahold of you, it won't let you go.  Gardeners hold the very essence of their gardens within their hearts.  Even as Fall sets in with the ending of many of our favorite blooming plants and the coming of the darkness that is the Winter season. our garden is still our place of comfort and nourishment.  The Creator gives us the garden to care for as it cares for us.  Grace, undeserved but welcome!

The mulching, the digging, the planting and adding compost to the beds of garlic, it is an earthy time with those rich aromas that remind you it is Fall.  Falling leaves in a rich assortment of colors add an ethereal beauty to the garden.  It's a thin moment when heaven and earth get really close, and you can almost feel the connection between them.  Fall is a time where a bit of faith and hope is necessary as you plant and pray.  Add a bit of love and life just gets a bit better!