My Favorite Time of Year

Autumn in Maine is a symphony of colors and sensations. The days are bathed in warm, golden sunlight, while the evenings bring a refreshing coolness that whispers of the coming winter. The landscape transforms as bright green leaves don their vibrant autumn attire, turning shades of yellow, orange, and red. All around, animals bustle about, gathering and storing food in preparation for the colder months ahead. It’s a season of abundance and beauty, a time for harvest and reflection.

On the homestead, the days are filled with the joyous task of gathering the fruits of our labor. My daughter treats the pear tree in our backyard like her personal snack bar, munching on the sweet fruit while the chickens eagerly await any fallen pieces. Each day, we head to the garden with a bowl in hand, ready to collect the ripening tomatoes. We can’t resist sneaking a few strawberries, savoring the ones the birds have kindly left for us.

Guessing the size of the carrots before pulling them from the ground adds a playful element to our routine, and we marvel at the broccoli heads that seem to appear overnight. The fragrant sage and oregano release their delightful scents as we brush past them, adding to the sensory experience of our harvest. I eagerly check the peppers each day, hoping to find some ready for picking. Every day on the homestead is a wonderful autumn adventure, filled with the simple pleasures of nature’s bounty.

After three years of trial and error, this year marked our first substantial broccoli harvest. Reflecting on the varied summer weather patterns and the strategic placement of seedlings, I’ve pinpointed the key factors behind this year’s success:

1. Timing: This year, I planted the seedlings later in the season, around mid-July, ensuring they received 6-8 hours of sunlight daily.
2. Soil Preparation: I chose a garden bed with well-drained, fertile soil. In the spring, I incorporated compost and ground-up eggshells to enrich the soil.
3. Consistent Watering: I made sure the soil never dried out completely, watering in the evenings after hot days if there hadn’t been any recent rain.
4. Pest Control: I planted the broccoli between sage and oregano, which effectively deterred aphids and cabbage worms. Despite some leaf damage, I only needed to apply a light dusting of Sevin once during the entire season.
5. Harvesting: After harvesting the main head, I left the smaller side shoots to continue growing, allowing for an additional harvest.

So far, we’ve eagerly devoured all the broccoli we’ve harvested, as it’s one of our favorite vegetables. However, if we ever find ourselves with an abundance, I plan to blanch and freeze it for future use.

I’d love to hear about your growing experiences this year! Have you had any similar successes or challenges? What are you most excited about harvesting this season? Please share in a comment below.