Pumpkin season and bulb planting seem to go together every fall right along with mums. Why not plant a few spring blooming bulbs in the same hole with a mum? You’ll have fall color now and a pleasant surprise in the spring too.
Here’s a fall decoration I recently observed. Stack an assortment of pumpkins and gourds inside a tomato cage or topiary frame that was used this past summer. Finish the look with a few branches of fall leaves around the base. The effect is unusual and a real eye catcher. I might do this in my whiskey barrel.
It’s also a great time to go to an apple orchard and enjoy some local Minnesota grown apples. Don’t forget to take some pictures while you’re there, the background is pleasing and the kids are a happy bunch and always smiling.
Now is a good time to transplant herbs to use in the kitchen all winter long. Basil is my favorite choice followed by parsley and rosemary. You can dig up part of your chives, pot them up, and use all winter too. Place them in shady area outside for few days after transplanting, then bring indoors and place in front of a south or west facing window.
Hints for using herbs: Add a bay leaf or two to your cup of tea. Add mint leaves to hot chocolate or to an “adult beverage”. Add some lemon or mint to the bottom of a cake pan before pouring in batter. Use your imagination!
