Fall into Autumn

Cynthia Brian
31 minutes ago
5 min read

“Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird, I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.” George Elliot

Frogs and crickets. Crickets and frogs. Growing up on our farm in the boondocks, the croaks and chirps were the melodies of the night. In the spring, the frogs sing as they search for mates. With the warm temperatures of autumn, the crickets increase their chirping to attract mates as they search for safety and food before winter arrives.

My family and I enjoy eating al fresco with the calming chorus of the crickets serenading. Of course, as we near a haunted Halloween, our meal is interrupted by the eerie howling of the coyotes. Pups born in the spring are leaving the dens of their parents to establish their own territories, and they want everyone to know that they are on the move.

We decorate for Halloween with creepy crawlies, spiders, and bats. As much as people fear insects, scientists are concerned about their decline. According to an article in the July/August issue of the Smithsonian, insects are disappearing at a rate of one to two percent a year on a global basis. Bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, bats, flies, ants, and other insects pollinate three-quarters of the world’s flowers and crops. It is those creepy crawlies that feed birds, fish, fowl, reptiles, and other insects. Without insects, humans wouldn’t eat.

Carnivorous plants also depend on insects to survive. The Venus flytrap plant has jaw-like leaves with fine trigger hairs that signal the trap to close when insects arrive, using their enzymes to digest them.

Another predatory plant is the Giant Pitcher Plant, which lures its victims as large as rats with the scent of its nectar. Insects and animals fall into the pitcher to be digested by an acidic liquid. Sometimes birds hunt those insects that have landed on the Giant Pitcher Plant, only to become the main meal.

It is pumpkin season. When you carve your favorite Jack O’Lantern, save the seeds and roast them. Pumpkin seeds provide fiber, protein, and healthy fats. All you have to do is scrape them from the pumpkin, rinse them well, and remove the pulp. With paper towels, dry them thoroughly, put them on a cookie sheet, and add a tablespoon of olive oil and seasoning of your choice. Bake them at 325 degrees for approximately forty minutes. Cool, eat, and enjoy!

This may be the final month to enjoy the magic of entertaining outdoors until the rainy season. Allow nature to set the scene. Elegance and charm are enhanced by the natural backdrop of the changing colors of the leaves, the crisp autumn air, and the chirping of the crickets. Use grape leaves, branches, acorns, pumpkins, and foraged fall flowers.

Bring some of the seasonal beauty indoors, too. Harvest seed pods and the red, orange, and gold autumnal foliage for unexpected elements.

Follow my October gardening guide to fall into autumn. It is delicious!

Cynthia Brian’s Goddess Gardener Guide for October

ü ENCOURAGE lizards and bats to take up residence. The western fence lizard carries a protein that destroys the Borrelia bacteria that reside in the stomachs of ticks carrying Lyme disease, and bats eat 6000-8000 mosquitoes nightly. Other pluses are that lizards eat lots of unwanted garden insects, and bats are pollinators.

ü CLEAN birdbaths and fountains. Continue adding fresh seed to bird feeders.

ü SAVE the seeds of your best-producing flowers and herbs. Drying them and storing them in a dark, cool place is the easiest way.

ü REFRIGERATE the bulbs of tulips, hyacinths, and crocus for four weeks before planting.

ü BOOST your levels of vitamin C as flu and cold season begin by brewing a homegrown rose hip, sage, and peppercorn tea. Pick ripe red rose hips from your rose bushes and red peppercorns from your pepper tree. Smash or grind and add to the teapot with shaved ginger, lemon rind, lemon juice, sage leaves, and honey. Peppery and delicious, hot or iced. Substitute garlic for the honey for a zesty herbal broth, which is yummy with steamed vegetables.

ü BUY colorful gourds and small pumpkins to brighten your porch. They will serve dual holidays with the simple addition of decorative spiders, skeletons, or ghouls for Halloween and, in November, add a turkey, fall leaves, or pilgrim figurine for Thanksgiving.

ü FERTILIZE lawns and scatter micro clover seed as a lawn alternative or in addition to your grass. Micro clover supports pollinators, conserves water, suppresses weeds, and offers a lush green cover.

ü FEED begonias and roses to encourage more blooms.

ü HARVEST the last of your grapes and apples. Add the colorful leaves to a tabletop for a spectacular autumn arrangement.

ü CLEAN patio pads and lounge cushions before storing for the winter. Prevent outdoor furniture from the elements with sturdy covers. (This is a four-day chore for me every fall and spring!)

ü ADD colorful coleus in fall hues to your patio.

ü VISIT your favorite nursery to purchase trees boasting gorgeous fall colors. Not only is this the best time to plant your trees, but by witnessing them in the autumn splendor, you’ll get the colors and textures that work best in your landscape.

üIDEAS for holiday gifts may be found at the link for quality home, garden, beauty, and lifestyle products at https://www.cynthiabrian.com/home-garden-products.

ü PROTECT the spiders and beneficial insects. Your garden will thank you.

ü HIRE a handyman service. When you have a home or garden challenge that needs solving, use this code to get $250 off a handyman service at Honey Homes. Highly recommended https://honeyh.me/eXEn

ü CARVE your pumpkins, light the Jack O’Lanterns, weave your webs, erect the gravestones, and dress up the skeletons you’ve been hiding in the closet. Nature provides the imagination for your supernatural trick-or-treat decor.

ü CONSERVE your pumpkin seeds. Clean, roast, season, and enjoy them as a healthy snack.

Happy Gardening! Happy Growing! Happy Halloween!

For more seasonal gardening tips and inspiration, grab a copy of Growing with the Goddess Gardener at https://www.CynthiaBrian.com/books. Raised in Napa County vineyards, Cynthia Brian is a New York Times best-selling author, actor, radio personality, speaker, media and writing coach, as well as the Founder and Executive Director of Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3, named the 2024 Nonprofit of the Year by

the Moraga Chamber of Commerce. https://www.BetheStarYouAre.org

Tune into Cynthia’s StarStyle® Radio Broadcast at https://www.StarStyleRadio.com. Her best-selling children’s series, Stella Bella’s Barnyard Adventures, is available at https://www.CynthiaBrian.com/online-store. Book Four, Flap Forward, Fly Free! is available NOW.