58 Putting the Garden to Bed| Fall Cleanup the Herbalist's Way

As October's first frosts arrive, the garden is ready to rest. In this episode, Brenda shares the old way of putting the garden to bed: not stripping it bare, but tucking it in. Drawing on wisdom from her friend and longtime gardening teacher Bettylou Sandy, she walks through what to cut back, what to leave standing for the birds and native bees, and how a blanket of fallen leaves feeds the soil all winter. She shares how to plant garlic at the New Moon in Libra, and introduces witch hazel, New England's native tree that blooms just as everything else lets go. Whether your garden is acres, a raised bed, or a few pots on the deck, this is a gentle, practical guide to fall cleanup and seasonal living.

In this episode:

• Why "mimic nature" is the heart of fall cleanup, and how three feet of leaves becomes an inch and a half of soil
• What to cut back and what to leave standing: annuals, perennials, seed heads, and woody herbs
• Putting a small garden to bed: pots, raised beds on legs, and bringing tender plants indoors
• A hard-won lesson from an aphid outbreak: why to keep new nursery plants apart before they join the others
• How to plant garlic in the ground, a raised bed, or a deep pot, and keep the squirrels out
• Witch hazel's story, from Indigenous medicine and dowsing rods to Connecticut's famous bottle, plus a simple homemade witch hazel wash

Herbs featured: Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) and garlic.
Note of care: A homemade witch hazel wash is for external use only. Refrigerate it and use it within about a week, or mix it 50-50 with 80-proof vodka to keep it on the shelf. Patch-test on sensitive skin.

From the Herbary Archive: Episodes #10 and #11, Fall Garden Clean Up and Winter Gardening with Bettylou Sandy (first released under the show's original name, Living and Lovin' Herbs).

Episode 10 Fall Garden Clean Up and Winter Gardening With Bettylou Sandy Part 1

https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/16258019

Episode 11 Fall Garden Cleanup and Winter Gardening With Bettylou Sandy Part 2

https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/16440317

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Herbs featured in this Show:

1. Dried Witch Hazel Bark

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🎼 Song: Planning - 320bit - September 5, 2021

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