Winterizing the garden has gotten a bit more unpredictable with our climate changes in the recent decades. I find it most useful to first rely on the knowledge and recommendations of our forefathers who have farmed for generations, and then relying on my instincts to read the weather patterns.
The weather is changing, and with it, the way in which we need to interact and care for the Earth around us. We use to be able to predict harvest and frost dates with ease. Now, our hot summer days are stretching across the month of July without pity for the dried plants it leaves in its wake. Each year it seems more and more that we now have 2 growing seasons where we once had 1.
I have finally found a good midwest routine of planting early for a Spring garden; giving many thanks when I yield anything during the hot weeks of summer; and planting my fall garden as soon as the August heat starts to die down. With the practice of working with the weather patterns we are given, I have increased my garden output nearly by half.
Over the past few years our winters have been unpredictable here in Kansas. However, even in the middle of a city-ish town, the planet has provided every year, exactly what my garden has needed for successful perennial survival. After the first threat of frost visits I cover everything with leaves. I have surrounded my garden bed and plants within with stones, which helps to hold in the heat; an old Irish tradition. This simple practice has brought back all of my herbs and my strawberries, which in my opinion, is more than enough to ask for from a novice gardener!
From one gardener to another, happy endless and unpredictable planting season!
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