In these times of exploding interest in home garden food production, autumn is the new spring. Vegetable plots emptied of summer fare and plumped with compost now exhibit fresh waves of young greenery -- spinach, lettuce, bok choy, and rows of lacy, tangy mizuna, kale, chicory and radicchio.
The autumn edible garden is beautiful, and exquisitely colourful. Ornamental gardens can by no means lay exclusive claim to captivating fall tints.
Red Russian kale's wavy leaves take on ever more rich purple-red tones as the plants develop through the autumn. A lettuce patch is a tapestry of leafy and head-forming plants in reds, bronze, and greens from light and creamy to deep and dark.
A bed of spinach and bok choy offers visual pleasure and delectable, superbly nutritious food. The colour depth of Bloomsdale Dark Green spinach sits in contrast to thick, sparkling white heads of Joi Choi ribs topped by rounded, deep green leaves, and the pale jade stalks of miniature Mei Qing Choy.
I found a new colour to add to my bok choy repertoire this year -- a purple-leaved variety from Thompson & Morgan. Its deep reddish-purple foliage complements bright green stems. This purple bok choy is very tasty, and pretty in salads.
As their season winds down, peppers take on their most vibrant colours and sweet flavours. Apple Sweet Pimento from Salt Spring Seeds has delivered a fine, steady crop of brilliant scarlet, thick-walled peppers with pointed ends beside Chocolate Beauty (West Coast Seeds), a large, blocky pepper that ripens to a dark, glossy, reddish brown with delicious, sweet flesh.
Intensely coloured vegetables like these deliver more than great taste. They are packed with nutrients that help to keep us healthy and strong.
Address the mess. It's October, and around here the New Year of the garden has truly begun, with major cleanup and renovation projects underway. Much of it involves altering and widening pathways and placing thick, weed-suppressing layers of wood shavings on the paths once they have been cleaned.
The latest endeavour is focused on a small area beside the garden shed, where partially collapsed climbing hydrangea vines need drastic cutting back and a mass of ivy had to be cut down before it could flower and set seed.
Thankfully, I had help with the beginning stage of this project. As I perched on an orchard ladder, sawing and hacking my way through ivy and hydrangea, my blessed helper gathered up the prunings for disposal.
This, unfortunately, is an obscure niche in the back yard where years of plant debris has been allowed to accumulate. As she worked her way through layers of leaves, twigs, and branches I apologized for the mangled muddle to my companion, who shall remain nameless except that her name begins with a D. "It's all right," she said. "This is rather like my sock and underwear drawer."
GARDEN EVENTS
Nanoose meeting. The Nanoose Garden Club will meet this Friday at 1:15 p.m. in the Nanoose Library Centre on Northwest Bay Road. Master Gardener Jacquie Thomson will give a talk on Winterizing Your Garden. More information at 250-618-8558.
Orchid show. The Victoria Orchid Society will host its annual Show and Sale this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Hillside mall by Purdy's Chocolates and Birks jewelers.
Peninsula meeting. The Peninsula Garden Club will meet on Monday, Oct. 5, at the Mary Winspear Centre. The Gardeners' Forum at 6:30 p.m. will feature Ann Aylard of the B.C. Fruit Testers Association on A Plethora of Pippins. Ann, an experienced propagator of heritage apples and pears, will bring samples for tasting and offer tips on choosing the best apples for local gardens. At the 7:30 meeting, Phee Hudson will give a Power Point presentation on The Flynbos of South Africa's Western Cape. These plants depend upon wildfires and ants to produce viable seeds. Visitors are welcome for a drop-in fee of $5.
Gordon Head Meeting. the Gordon Head Garden Club Will Meet on Monday, Oct. 5, at 7:30 P.M. in the Gordon Head United Church Hall, 4201 Tyndall Ave. Carmen Varcoe Will Present Good Fall Colour and Interest in the Garden, With Slides and Plant Samples. Visitors and New Members are Welcome.
