A garden starts in the fall

I thought I would try to keep a journal here of a year in my gardens....recording preparation, plantings, upkeep, and as many of the chores that a gardener might do either because they have to or because they want to. I want to record not only what happens over the year in the gardens, but also want to record my observations of the natural world of which the gardens are a part.

The island of Martha's Vineyard whereI live is approximately inUSDA plant hardiness zone 7a. We have late springs here on the island usually due to the fact that we are surrounded by the cold Atlantic ocean which takes a while to warm up in the spring, and so keeps us cooler than the mainland. It has often been said that we don't really get a spring here, but go from winter into summer, with only a few brief moments of the glorious springs people speak of on the mainland. Actually, May and June are quite glorious, despite the occasional cold snaps, and each day seems to bring forth something new in the plant, bird and insect world. And because of the moderating factor of the warm ocean in the fall, our autumns tends to be warmer than the mainland, and are one of the most beautiful times here.

I am starting this journal in the fall as the season is winding down, but in a sense it all begins in the fall with the preparation done then, so the growing season is ending, but the preparation for next year begins now...so it is perhaps the true beginning.