I have been lax these days in keeping people in touch with you about fall gardening and, for this, I apologize! Been busy making applesauce, pepper jelly and tomato puree (from the farmers markets because my crop was done a while ago!).

With the cool weather coming there are a lot of things you can do to still be productive ~ even if you have a container garden! You just need some confidence and a trip to either Home Depot or a reputable garden center for some seeds. You can also go to Mom's Organic Market for some seedlings.

The cool temps in the fall are just the same as the cool temps in the spring. So, you can try any of the spring "cool weather" crops. Give these a try for some quick, satisfying results:

* lettuce * spinach * parsnips * carrots * radish * beets * kale * mustard greens * turnip * cabbage * sweet sugar snap peas * beans * brussel sprouts * garlic * onions * leeks

I am sure there are some I am missing, but this gives you the idea that there are still many satisfying meal enhancing vegetables that you can continue to grow into the fall season!  Now, if you are a bit worried about a frost hitting these fragile greens, you can easily get what is called a "floating cover" to put over your veggies to protect them for the brisk overnight temps.

Just this week, I took some of my first fall lettuce crop and added those delicate, tasty leaves to our hamburgers and a deli sandwich. Can't remember the variety because my tags faded, but that does not matter. It was joyful!

Many folks at the community gardens plant spinach mid-October so that it overwinters and gets really growing as the sun heats up the soil in the springtime. That way, you can get some real satisfaction with fresh greens very early in the season!

Even in a container garden, sprinkle some seeds on the top of your pots to see what happens. Late in September, some volunteers did just this thing at South Lakes High School as we set up a teaching garden in moveable, fabric "pots". We planted these seeds as well as some fall flowers. You should stop by to take a look - it is on the west side of the school, inbetween the language "learning cottages"/trailers and the school building.

So, as the days get a bit shorter, don't fret! You can still enjoy some quick growing produce to make your dinners just a little more satisfying! Have the confidence and give it a try this fall!