“Autumn is the eternal corrective. It is ripeness and color and a time of maturity; but it is also breadth, and depth, and distance. What man can stand with autumn on a hilltop and fail to see the span of his world and the meaning of the rolling hills that reach to the far horizon?” Hal Borland. “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn’t it?” Lucy Maud Montgomery. “October is a symphony of permanence and change.” Bonaro W. Overstreet. “The clear light that belongs to October was making the landscape radiant.” Florence Bone. “The leaves fall, the wind blows, and the farm country slowly changes from the summer cottons into its winter woods.” Henry Beston.

Fall…the season setting in motion the foundation for thriving in plants and people. Through the years people have asked me, “What’s your favorite season”? In my youth, the spring of my life, I told them, winter. In the summer of my life, I told people it was fall. Now that I am in the fall of my life I would answer, summer. I suspect that in the winter of my life, I will say fall.

But there are lessons to be learned and seeds to be planted in every season – for your garden and your life. I also believe we humans can create our own seasons of change. We are in the fall, starting with the autumnal equinox and into the winter solstice. The air becomes crisp, yet the sun warms our face, the colors of the leaves dazzle with brilliant shades of gold, orange, and red. The asters are stunning and the pollinators are zipping and sipping. Nature in her glory and I am grateful.

Soil is the foundation of our lives. I don’t believe it’s necessary to completely understand it to fully enjoy it. Soil anchors roots and feeds our plants. Paying attention to and nurturing that foundation will deliver the best results. Soil holds the key to a plant’s ability to take up nutrients, water, and oxygen. Soil also acts as a filter for rainwater, cleaning it as it makes its way into our aquifers.

To understand your soil, first get a soil test. There are numerous test kits in big box stores and at some local garden centers but any gardener that knows their dirt will tell you to send a sample to your local county agent for university testing for specific nutrients.

A rudimentary test for discovering if you have sandy, clay, or loam soil is to take a fistful, wet it, and if it ribbons up, it’s more clay, if it falls apart, it’s more sand and if it crumbles nicely, it’s more like loam. Loam is the goal – it drains well, not too fast, not too slow.

Building the soil, replenishing micronutrients, and keeping the soil “fluffy” is the goal of composting. This allows for easier planting. Doing this in fall allows the compost to work its magic all winter. Shred the leaves with your mower and bag them for use on garden beds and in compost. Using shredded leaves instead of whole leaves is recommended because the smaller size of the leaves makes decomposition faster. If you want the leaves even more finely shred, mow the area once without the bagger and then a second time with the attachment.

Don’t forget that mulching fall leaves and leaving a thin layer on your lawn is an excellent nitrogen-rich fertilizer.

Leaves are rich in carbon. In a compost pile, they help to balance the carbon-nitrogen ratio (kitchen scraps are high in nitrogen) that is needed. They also absorb excess moisture, helping to keep the pile from becoming soggy and smelly.

Mix shredded leaves and/or compost into the soil to enrich new or renovated garden beds. Doing this in the fall allows time for the leaves and compost to start decaying. As I ponder my garden foundation, I too ponder the foundations of my relationships with people and nature. It’s a time to renew them as well. And a time to “turn under” the spent foliage of both, let go of what was and anticipate what’s to come.

Fall is the best time of the year to set in motion the foundations of our gardens.

This fact sheet is provided as an educational service of the National Garden Bureau (www.ngb.org/fall-foundation) and Teri Knight, Podcast Host (Garden Bite). Have a blessed week and continue to enjoy October!

“Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of My people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.” Isaiah 10:1-2. “In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises.” Psalm 10:2. “Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.” Romans 10:4. “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5. “Blessings crown the head of the righteous, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.” Proverbs 10:6.