Chickadee Gardens

To be honest, there really is no end of the gardening season. For us it is a year-round labor of love that winds down to a trickle this time of year. However, marking the passage of time grounds me. Halloween, Samhain, traditionally marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the darker half of the calendar year, therefore I think I'll mark this as my year's end. Why not? I am in a close relationship with growing food, harvesting it and with plants in general, after all. And it is true the harvest is nearly complete (ripening squash, I'm looking at you). By embracing this time of the year I relax more and am able to take a break from the busy growing half of the year and hopefully indulge in enjoying the final show of autumn color. I do try and garden for year-round habitat and interest but you cannot deny that spring and summer are peak season for most gardeners. Autumn and winter chores will certainly keep us busy (planting/moving some plants, compost spreadi