Embracing the Cold Rainy Days of Late Autumn
Dear Reader,
This post is unlike my other blog posts about farm happenings & gardening tips. Instead this post is a little ‘closer to home’ sharing how Nature helped me see the dreary days of Late Autumn in a new light
Friend… grab a cuppa. I’m going to tell you a secret:
Many many years ago, Autumn weather made me feel sad. Really sad…
Not the first week’s of Autumn…
when trees and shrubs are covered with bright reds, yellows and orange leaves.
Golden and bright with Nature’s fireworks celebrating the growth of Summer!
Sweater weather. Golden trees. Pumpkins everywhere. Hot cider & a good book in the park on sunny Autumn days.
I loved early Autumn!
But right about mid-October my attitude shifted!
I went from ‘Ahhh Autumn is my FAVORITE season’ to “YUCK… it’s so grey & muddy I don’t even want to go outside in it”
I know. I know. It seems like a terrible attitude. But let’s face it any kind of weather affects us all to some degree.
All those years ago, those last weeks of Autumn really jump started what I know was seasonal depression.
Fewer hours of daylight and bare trees made me feel sad. All compounded by rainy days, wet leaves, and mud everywhere.
“YUCK…. who wants to go outside in THAT!”, I’d say…
Oh how I eagerly awaited carpets of SNOW to cover up all that ‘blah’ and mud! Snow made everything pretty!
But not anymore! Oh no! NOT ANYMORE!
Now days, I get so excited about the mud, bare trees and cold days of late October and November.
WHAT DO YOU ASK TURNED MY AUTUMN FROWNS UPSIDE DOWN?
Gardening. Not just any gardening either. Oh no my friends.
It was gardening for wildlife that really changed how I perceived those rainy Autumn days.
Before that there was so much I didn’t know….
Insects and amphibians like salamanders were hibernating under those decaying leaves.
Birds were hunting for more than worms amongst the leaves and tree bark.
The plants were still GROWING in those warm soils too!
Before I jumped into gardening
I knew there were worms & insects in the soil. However, I didn’t know there was so much LIFE happening in the soil despite the cold rainy days of late Autumn!
Seriously it’s a fungi party in there! Ha~ha!
(get it FUNGI… ahem… moving on)
Skip forward 30 years and my mindset has drastically changed about Autumn.
Instead of hoping for snow to “cover up the ugly” muddy weather of late Autumn…
I’m can be found playing in it!
You read that right Friend! During the rainy, cold grey days of late Autumn I am actually outside playing!
Seriously— I have ‘muck gear’ now!!
I eagerly watch for the shift in the weather and sunlight. I no longer beg for snow to ‘cover up the yuck’ anymore.
Why I’ve even created some new tricks to enjoy these last weeks of Autumn! Like using beach umbrellas while seed sowing or creating wreaths for the birds with dried seed heads.
So great is this change in mindset that as I write this I’m giggling with excitement for LATE AUTUMN’s arrival!
SHOCKING!!!!!
If you find late Autumn to be "‘a bummer’ too you might be wondering “How in the world is this possible???”
I did too. And I know that I’m not the only one feeling like I did about late Autumn! Hence this post!
Reflecting on my mindset change over the years I realized:
My perception of the seasons impacted how I responded to them.
Small actions of joy like ‘Candle Season” and Autumn parties made a BIG impact.
Seasonal depression can happen anytime of year and is a serious matter. Especially so in Late Autumn thru early Spring when less light and more snow limit our social activities.
This post is to share what worked for me. If you are experiencing depression, seasonal or otherwise, you are not alone! Contact your healthcare provider or visit this link now.
What about the Autumn gardening?
Well friend… let me tell ya…
Since we’re growing for wildlife Autumn gardening doesn’t have any clean up! Yes you’ll have to put chairs and garden decoration inside. Can’t escape that one!
But the plants… oh my! Are you sitting down???
In Late Autumn I am still PLANTING!
Dividing Native Perennials
By mid-Autumn most perennials have entered dormancy and can be divided!
Free plants? YES PLEASE!
So instead of being inside pouting about the yucky weather, I’m outside dividing plants and EXPANDING my gardens for MORE native flowers for NEXT YEARs pollinators!
Now you could leave the perennials alone to settle in for the Winter.
THEN in early Spring like mid-March when you have Spring fever you could be outside digging, dividing, and replanting them !!!!
Let’s shout out a YIPPEE on that one! No late Winter Blues for you!
You can also PLANT new perennials during the last week’s of Autumn!
As long as soil temps are above 55 degrees you can still plant perennials.
Now there’s a limit though~ you want the plants to have at least 6 weeks BEFORE the ground freezes at their root level. This gives the plant time to establish roots before Winter’s arrival.
But wait, there’s more late Autumn fun!
Late Autumn is a great time for SOWING NATIVE SEEDS!
Many native seeds need cold stratification to germinate.
Cold stratification is a period of cold temperature and moisture which triggers changes within the seed at a cellular level. During this time, the hard shell of the seed protects the seeds embryo and then softens for germination in warmer Spring weather!
But we’re not going to jump into the germination rabbit hole today— but let’s just say its really fascinating what happens in those tiny dormant seeds!
How to Sow Seeds in Late Autumn:
In early Autumn, get some paper envelopes & a pen. Then collect native seeds from your garden or even here at the farm! Be sure to write the plants name, date collected & location. Remember you only need a pinch or two of seeds! Leave the rest for wildlife!
You can also still find some seeds of Autumn blooming plants like Asters in November!
In late Autumn, sprinkle your seeds lightly onto bare soil or those dried leaves. Remember to sow seeds where the plants will grow best according to their needs for sun & moisture. Monarda species for example like full sun and average soils. So you wouldn’t sow these seeds in a shady spot!
Don’t forget the birds!
One of the wonders of NOT cleaning up your garden is watching birds visit your garden.
Talk about a cheer up that lasts all Winter long!
All the native plants will attract birds to hunt for seeds and insects in your garden.
Regardless of the late Autumn weather, birds will be hopping around, twittering and foraging for food in your garden.
In fact, it was birds foraging in my abandoned garden that inspired me to grow native plants in the first place! This pic captured THAT moment in January 2019 on a 12* morning.
See all those little ‘divots’ in the snow around the stems?
Those are BIRD TRACKS! s The seeds they were feasting on are New England Asters & Goldenrod. (as birds eat native seeds they sow some for your garden too!)
Of course, you can supplement the bird’s food with birdfeeders and birdbaths too. This is really helpful once the snow gets so deep the native plants are covered up. I’ll often shovel off garden beds so birds can access those seeds & stems in January & February.
If you’d like to create a bird feeding station check out Cornell’s ‘All About Birds’ for more information.
See friends, late Autumn doesn’t have to be a ‘bummer’
There’s a special beauty to be found in the bare trees, fallen leaves and mud. We can watch Nature ‘snuggle in’ for the coming Winter but also help wildlife too.
Late Autumn planting and sowing is not just for next Summer’s pollinators. The perks extend to wildlife into next late Autumn too!
