What a wonderful way to begin this blog-with a short welcome note about Fall! I ask you, find a moment of quiet space. Close your eyes. Breathe in. Bring to mind what fall feels like for you. Are there piles of colorful leaves? Can you smell the sweet spice in the air? Do you feel the cool breath of Winter coming? For all of us, Fall is an important time. It is a time for preparation, the time to clear away the old and ready for what's to come. On this particularly beautiful Fall day, I find myself cleaning away the remaining fruit, composting dropped leaves, and unruly stocks of my beds. Pottering through the plants, I spend today clearing their earth and “tucking them in” for the coming winter.

It is hard work, clearing away any live fruit, collecting piles of leaves, and moving all the potted plants to be protected from elements. I spend a long time trimming back branches and covering roots to encourage winter's deep rooting, but I don't mind the back bending. All the while, rich smells of earth, almost-gone fruit, and clean cut undergrowth surround me in a cloud of aroma. I'm already dreaming of the coming spring. How much bigger will the unruly Rosemary get? Do I bring the Lemon Verbena inside to keep it from going dormant? It's an easy decision, inside it is. I remember the success of a mouth-watering Lemon Verbena Tea Bread recipe I tried over the summer, and look forward to making it again this Fall.

As I daydream I plan the late winter wakeup trims for Sage, Rose Geranium & others, which will encourage new growth and big blooms. Giant blooms! Full of fragrance! My mind conjures up my plans to distill the blooms in a beautiful copper distiller, which allows me to create aromatic waters and essential oils. I smile to think of the coming future, but for now the sun is setting on me and a cool breeze shoos me inside to the comfort of a cup of tea. I am filled with deep joy, imagining the bounty and many benefits this slumbering garden will bring to you all next Spring- It's a thought that keeps me going through the darkest of times. Imagine the bloom, see it, smell it & breath in the promise of spring.