Rae Punzel: It’s harvest time! | Home And Garden | kenoshanews.com – Kenosha News

Posted On: August 22, 2019

Some gardeners started planning for their harvests last winter, started seeds indoors in January or February and have worked countless hours pampering their plants in the heat of the summer.

In their enthusiasm to be outdoors, some may have moved their tiny plants outdoors too soon and had to start over again. Some may have had their first, and possibly second, plantings flooded out this spring; they, too, had to start from scratch.

Without complaint, we always begin again. This is what we do.

We gardeners are a tenacious lot, aren’t we? Neither flood, nor drought, nor heat of the sun (nor gloom of night?) will keep us from accomplishing our objectives. The truth is, we “Dirt People” love the process, but we aren’t just killing time or playing; we also expect results. We want our flowers to be beautiful and our harvests to be bountiful. After the investment of our finances, energy and time, we deserve it. Now is the time for results.

Here we are — so close to the grand finale. This year has been challenging, but we have certainly enjoyed some of the fruits of our labor. Zucchini, tomato, cucumbers, herbs, medicinal plants — and much more — we’ve loved them all. Early cool crops like spinach, lettuce, radishes soon can be planted for another harvest, or even in preparation for spring. It is also the time for preserving our bounty to last through the winter months.

Soon, the cycle will begin again, and having learned from the disappointments of this season, we will adjust our plans for next season while the snow falls. Will we choose different perennials — ones more resistant to heat and drought? Will we try a different variety of tomato — one boasting to be more resistant to blossom end rot? The possibilities are nearly limitless, and the planning and purchasing and dreaming are half of the joy of it all.

The garden is our canvas, and we are the designers of our masterpiece.

We are so fortunate, aren’t we? Being in touch with the earth and playing a role in Mother Nature’s grand design is such a gift. We get to take part in the creation and the benefits go far beyond a landscape full of beautiful flowers, a bumper crop of tomatoes or fruit trees overflowing. We are connected to our planet, to each other and to life itself.

We are planners, creators, designers, artists, harvesters and nurturers of life.

We are gardeners.

Rae Punzel is a Kenosha writer and horticulturalist. She owns Bennu Organics, a horticulture services and consulting business. Contact her at bennuorganics@gmail.com.