I love plants. That may or may not be obvious since I’ve dedicated my career to learn about them, growing and using them. But lately it is a growing fascination of pure delight at popping seeds into dirt, watering and waiting; watching life emerge and grow.

Autumn came in slow this year, here in South East Missouri. Dragging out some gorgeous 90*, then about a week of cool, golden days with beautiful fall colors. Then suddenly we had a jolt of cold with hard frosts killing off most everything in my garden which was still happily growing, blooming and bearing fruit.

It was a truly sad day for me! I can laugh now, but so many flowers just stopped dead in their tracks, literally.

Since then, I feel like I’ve been even more enthusiastic about growing plants than ever before. I have all kinds of funny containers and pots filled with dirt from the yard on my window sills. I took cuttings from my sage bush to try rooting them out (even though it’s the wrong time of year), and I have taken cuttings from two of my house plants and attempting to root them too. I planted marigold seeds in a pot. I’m chomping at the bit to start other seeds I have too.

Is November too early to start bedding plants for spring 2020? Probably, but I don’t care. I will probably have tomato plants sprouting by Christmas at this rate.

I just love tinkering and watching the progress of the garden and plants… I’ve still been working in the yard and doing garden things that ARE seasonally appropriate, like planting tulips and garlic (yay!), and raking leaves to apply to my garden beds to overwinter and create even better dirt for planting next spring… Oh I can’t wait for spring!

My friend Morgan told me about how to start your own sweet potato slips! I am for sure attempting it, but she said I ought to wait til about February for that.

What do you do in the fall and winter months to tide you over til planting season again? Where do you live, is there such a drastic change in weather every season (like here in Missouri) that you have to totally rethink the garden every 3 months or so?

I’m so curious about people who live in more temperate climates where plants don’t really die back in winter due to the cold. Is it just blissful gardening year round???