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Quote of the Day: Monty Don

November 3rd, 2013

“The first is that some people are unaware of the seasons or the natural world at all.  The second is that modern life has so blunted the edges of the seasons for most people that hey just slide by in a smooth, well-blended continuum.  For myself, I find the seasons’ teeth bite deep.  And even winter with freak flowers and blossoms appearing out of season like Christmas cards arriving in May, there is no way out of this one.  We are staring November in the face and winter lies unavoidably ahead.”

Monty Don (The Ivington Diaries)

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Yesterday was a beautiful day here in Maine, sunny, warm with a high of around 65. I was outside from sun up to sun down cleaning out the chicken coop, mulching and checking a few things off the endless list. There is snow in the forecast for today, winter will be her before I know it.

When does winter usually arrive in your garden?

6 Comments to “Quote of the Day: Monty Don”
  1. Erika on November 3, 2013 at 8:16 am

    Lovely pictures and winter is coming fast. I don’t know what it was life in Maine but in southern Miss we’ve had a wet cool summer which probably will be followed by a cold winter.

    Erika

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  2. Nebraska Dave on November 3, 2013 at 8:18 am

    Susy, Winter has indeed sent out her scouts to prepare the way for her arrival. Officially Winter arrives on December 21. If the first snow is the indicator that Winter has rolled into town, then it can be any time now. I’ve seen the first snow in October and some years she waits until January. At the garden yesterday, a new green layer of weed plant growth near the road was starting to germinate. I have now idea what they were but I covered them up with a foot of leaf mulch. The grassy new area that I’m reclaiming from the neighbor land owner’s lot is still lush green. Next week after yard waste harvest this area will be covered with a foot or more of mulch.

    Monty Don’s quote of the day is so true in today’s culture. So many of my friends are wishing away the colder seasons in favor of the warmer ones. The Winter of 2011-2012 was almost non existent here in Nebraska. People loved it but it was not good for the land. It didn’t really freeze the soil. Bug population was up and mosquito invasion was imminent. The only thing that saved us from biblical proportion bug plagues was the drought. When the drought hit for two months, it took out a large portion of the bug population. Well, that’s my theory. I have favorite seasons but enjoyment comes with every season. I’ve learned to live in the moment and see the beauty of each day in the uniqueness that it brings. Just as seasons are different so are days.

    Have a great Maine Fall season day.

    Reply to Nebraska Dave's comment

  3. Jennifer Fisk on November 3, 2013 at 11:04 am

    Often the first appreciable snow happens during Thanksgiving weekend but by then the ground is usually frozen so I guess it is winter.
    Yesterday was an absolutely gorgeous day, high 60 with sunshine and no wind, that made the possibility of winter around the corner seem so remote.

    Reply to Jennifer Fisk's comment

  4. Colleen on November 3, 2013 at 2:25 pm

    It depends…on the year. If the weather hasn’t already changed just before Thanksgiving, it usually does by the second week of December. Yesterday was very stormy with lots of wind and rain and today we have bright sunshine and crisp clean air, perfect for picking up all the branches and getting things on “the list” done.

    Reply to Colleen's comment

  5. kathi Cook on November 3, 2013 at 7:34 pm

    Could happen anytime between October and January! December is when I actually feel like it’s winter. before then I just refer to it as late fall.

    Reply to kathi Cook's comment

  6. Brenna on November 3, 2013 at 7:43 pm

    Here in Alaska it’s been unseasonably warm. Normally winter hits around mid-October, but here we are 3rd day of November and it’s 45 and no snow!

    Reply to Brenna's comment

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This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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