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It’s hard to know how to feel on September 1st. Summer is fading and fall is around the corner.

Getting into seasonality is one of the best aspects of gardening. Whereas before you might’ve only felt depressed at this time of year, now you’ll embrace it.

With fall arriving on the 22nd, we’re looking forward to what the garden has in store this season. And don’t worry. If you haven’t had your fill of growing yet this year, there’s still time.

It’s Harvest Season!

Crops are maturing faster than you can use them.

Have fun cooking up the bounty of fresh local produce that is available everywhere this time of year. Take a drive out to nearby farms and stock up on winter squash, potatoes, and apples. Dig out the canner and preserve a few jars of apple sauce and pie filling. Make another “Cottage Corner” in your home by dedicating shelf space to these little luxuries.

Partings and Reunions

Saying goodbye is never easy :(

Tomato season is almost over so go out of your way to eat a few more. There is nothing like a fresh tomato straight from the garden, nothing.

It’s Honey Baby season :)

The Honey Baby Squash (also known as Honeynut) is a Butternut Hybrid that is selectively bred for size and flavour. While selecting for disease resistance and other common issues makes sense, selecting for flavour is absolutely lush! The perfect single-serving size, a Honey Baby Squash is so yummy you’ll be roasting them every night all month.

For a simple preparation, halve lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Drizzle with olive oil and salt. Roast cut side down with several sprigs of fresh rosemary or thyme at 400F until soft (about 30-40 minutes). Remove blackened rosemary and serve squash cut side up with a little more oil and salt. Garnish with more fresh herbs, optional.

Or go all out and treat yourself to this beautiful preparation by Alison Roman: Brown Buttered Squash, Dates and Walnuts.

Fall Crops

There’s plenty of good growing weather left!

Now is the time to get fall crops into the ground. The remaining warmer days will help with germination and early growth. Then, mature plants will be naturally hardened off as the weather cools down.

Good choices for fall planting in small spaces are: Arugula, Chicory, Cilantro, Kale, Lettuce, Mesclun, Mustard, Radish, and Spinach.

Frost Dates

Know your first expected frost date.

Your growing season runs from your last frost date in the spring until your first frost date in the fall. When you’re gardening near the beginning and end of the growing season, you’ll watch the weather every day for frost warnings and provide frost protection to your crops when they need it.

Frost dates vary considerably across Canada. Here are the average first frost dates for our capital cities. (We’ve used the Farmer’s Almanac for the dates and the Government of Canada for the zones.) Keep in mind these dates are averages and will change a little from year-to-year.

Whitehorse YT (Zone 1b) - August 24

Iqaluit NU (Zone 0a) - August 27

Regina SK (Zone 3b) - September 1

Yellowknife NT (Zone 0a) - September 11

Winnipeg MB (Zone 4a)- September 15

Edmonton AB (Zone 4a) - September 16

Quebec QC (Zone 5a) - September 24

Fredericton NB (Zone 5b) - September 25

Saint John's NL (Zone 6a) - October 7

Charlottetown PE (Zone 5b) - October 10

Toronto ON (Zone 7a) - October 13

Halifax NS (Zone 6b) - October 20

Victoria BC (Zone 9b) - November 9th

Frost Protection

You have options!

Frost Blankets - An inexpensive product that is light, easy to trim, apply, and store. To use, cover plants with frost blankets each night and remove them during the days.

Mulch - If you’re using lots of light mulch such as straw, it can be heaped up over smaller plants to provide overnight frost protection. Uncover the plants during the day.

Cloches - A bell-shaped cover made of glass or clear plastic (think of the enchanted rose in beauty and the beast). Cloches act like a greenhouse and don’t necessarily need to be removed during the day. However, air and moisture must be allowed to circulate so consider propping them up or opening the vent on top if it has one. Close them up again overnight.

Cold Frames - A great choice for larger spaces, a cold frame is like a mini greenhouse that sits directly over a small garden bed or container. Depending on the materials used, cold frames can provide enough insulation to keep cold-tolerant plants growing well into fall.

Greenhouses - Greenhouses can range from a small shelf enclosed by clear plastic walls to huge glasshouses capable of feeding the whole family. If you have the space, a greenhouse is an excellent way to extend your growing season, potentially making it year-round!

Updates from Cottage Corners

The store is open!

We are so excited to announce that our store is now open! We’ve been designing some really fun Cottage Corner swag. We can’t wait to run into another Cottage Corner gardener out and about someday!

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