I cherish the natural winding down of Autumn. For those who put up food for the winter, and/or tend to seeds and soil as the season completes, Fall is both a get-it-done-now time and an ah-it’s done time. The now factor is due to how fluid Autumn temperatures, precipitation and thus moisture, and/or frost can be. Seeds drying on vines require sunshine, dryness, and moderate temperatures. Flower seeds, such as marigold with thick blossom bed require the same. Too much moisture, seeds in pods can rot or mold in their pods. The sugar snap peas did this season. Yet, after nine months of so little preciptation, the rains in September have been celebrated. No complaints by this human: all life needs water. Seeds can be ordered. How cool is that!
Enough string beans, green and rattlesnake, set before that last week of rain almost every day. So, this gardener has plenty for next season. On the vines is a lot more pods; enough to offer hundreds of seeds (no exaggeration). Six quart baggies of cut, blanched, frozen beans are in the freezer, and every three days all young, new beans are harvested. All the while the mature ones for seed swell, storing up sugars in the seed -the food for its germination.
I grew a “landrace” drying bean this year; Bolita, by name. You might know that “landrace” is the term given to vegetables, usually corn, bean, pea, and squash that have been cultivated by the Native peoples of that “land.” Bolita is the name given by the Mexicans to this bean grown by the Ute People who summered in this area. Ute Mountain is about 10 miles from Jaroso. Bolita is the size of a black-eyed pea, salmon colored, and has a very delicious slightly smoky gentle pinto bean flavor. It was planted in one bed by the house and yielded just about a pint of dry beans. I was surprised by the quantity produced; and would not have dreamed anything close to that by the amount of plants there were. Definite success!
The Kabocha squash did well (snoopy dance!). Kabocha-coconut milk soup is a staple yum in this house from September ’til February. It is eaten cold by spoon straight from the mason jar in the fridge! This soup is an Ayurvedic food, completely balanced. But, I eat it just because … it’s sooooo good. Nourishing? absolutely. Healthy? for sure. Whole and pure? you bet. And, everyone I have offered it to usually says some version of “oh, my goodness” while it’s still in their mouth. Here’s the recipe from last year.
Lastly, the marigolds and cosmos were beauteous this season. I hope they both can set seed properly because they thrived in the heat, whereas even the hollyhocks (native to the environment) struggled a bit. Pictured below is a Mexican mini-marigold. The other flower that has come on gloriously is native asters. Those that got the least irrigation, due to where they popped up, flowered the most fully. Truly a drought tolerant native plant.
Wishing you a restful winter, a full larder, and good seeds for next Spring!
