A Spooky Fall Garden

It's not hard to find Halloween decorations in a Fall garden.  The spiders have been getting plumper, longer and more "spidery" all Fall from a diet rich in garden insects.  Their webs are enormous and hang from the apple trees and across the paths--usually at just the right height to walk into!  They perfectly place themselves around the garden for Halloween delight.

When the fog rolls in, a hushed silence fills the garden and the spider webs are outlined with dew.  They are really quite beautiful.  But it's also easy to see how many spiders we have and how outnumbered we are...

All of our Fall produce fits nicely into the theme of Halloween as well.  We have colorful orange pumpkins and overgrown zucchini.  Golden, red and brown leaves float down through the air and litter the ground with their Fall colors.

Spooky sounds are everywhere this time of year.  The fallen leaves make a delightful "crunchy" sound as you walk through them.  And they smell deliciously of brown sugar--especially as you walk through a big pile!  The wind blows through branches, bringing creaks and groans from the tall trees, and rustles the decaying sunflowers and corn stalks in a way that makes you feel as though you aren't alone in the garden after all...

And really, we aren't alone in the garden.  We are surrounded by insect life, Decomposers, Producers and of course our SOP Students--who are wonderful garden Consumers. So, for whatever holiday you celebrate this time of year, enjoy the spooky sounds, beautiful sights and delicious gifts of the Fall garden.