October has brought the pumpkin harvest, and I think this may be my favorite one yet! Every year I grow a few unusual varieties, mostly chosen for their beautiful shapes and colors. This year we harvested Queensland Blue, Galeux d’Eysines, Verte et Blanc, and Musquée de Provence squash. I originally purchased the seeds from Seed Savers Exchange and have been saving my own seeds from year to year ever since.
I’ve never been particularly drawn to traditional orange pumpkins. Since our farmhouse is red, I much prefer the soft blues, whites, and dusty pinks scattered around the porch and garden. These varieties are so lovely, each with its own unusual shape and texture, and I enjoy seeing how they turn out each autumn.
This week I'll also be planting garlic, another favorite fall garden task. My cousin is an organic garlic farmer in Wyoming, and I’m lucky enough to get my planting garlic from her! I love having that little family connection tucked into our garden, and there is something so satisfying about planting now and knowing we'll be harvesting next summer.
We also just returned from Hot Springs, Arkansas, where we spent the weekend at the Birding Festival of the South. Our family was invited to be the Friday evening entertainment, and we brought our bird podcast to the stage for a live audience! We had the best time meeting so many fellow bird lovers, sharing stories, and getting to do what we normally do in front of cameras with a room full of people instead. It was such a fun weekend.
And one last little garden update. We are still harvesting tomatoes! I know their days are numbered as the cooler weather approaches, and I will miss them terribly. There really is nothing more dreamy than walking out to the garden, picking a handful of ripe tomatoes, and adding them to whatever happens to be on the table that day. I'm enjoying every last one while I can.
Happy October! xo, Sarah