I particularly love the week of Thanksgiving because it heralds the start of the holiday season and provides the opportunity to spend more time with loved ones laughing, eating, and enjoying the great outdoors.

I’m always on the lookout for great garden suggestions or new ways we can support wildlife and our environment. Yesterday, I came across this awesome project which grows lettuce, basil, strawberries, mandarins, microgreens, and 15 other crops year-round in Italy.

Two BIG distractions in writing. First, my study sits directly opposite the foyer and dining room, and on Sunday, Marty and I brought up the Fall/Halloween/Thanksgiving decorations for the house and yard. Second, my chair and desk sit right in front of a huge window which has two flower boxes and a large hanging platform feeder.

Today I was back in the garden again, picking away at the necessary tasks required in preparation for fall. I must admit, one of the biggest challenges I face every year is deciding which perennials I should deadhead and which ones I should leave alone. On one hand, allowing the flowerheads to remain on the stalk provide a smorgasbord of seeds and nectar for late summer birds, bees, and butterflies, and much needed protection from the cold for snakes, mice, and other animals which over-winter. However, overgrown plants also produce thousands of seeds which may cross-pollinate with other varieties

It’s that time of year when the final flush of summer blooms give way to autumn mums and the breathtaking colors of fall leaves.