Energize your jack-o’-lantern

- by Debra Anchors

Jack-o'-lanterns
Photo courtesy of Nicholas Myers

It wouldn't be fall without a carved pumpkin, but the joy can be fleeting because jack-o’-lanterns often rot quickly. Here are a few tips to help extend the life of your spooky masterpiece.

• When selecting your pumpkin, steer clear of any with blemishes or soft spots.  And be sure to choose one with a stem; stemless pumpkins can collect water on top.

• Remove bacteria from the surface of the pumpkin before carving it by wiping it down with a household disinfectant or diluted bleach solution (a quarter cup in a gallon of water).

• Once you’re done carving, lightly spread petroleum jelly over any cut surfaces.

• Keep the jack-o’-lantern in as cool and dry a place as possible.

Safety note:  Do not use a big knife for carving, because the pumpkin rind is so tough. Try a pumpkin-carving kit, which contains a not-to-sharp serrated knife. 

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Leave a legacy, but garden like you’ll live forever! 
-Debra

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Create a scarecrow

- by Debra Anchors

Express your style with a scarecrow

With the autumn season upon us, I decided to focus on the scarecrow, a familiar symbol of the fall harvest. Have you ever considered the creative style of the person who created your favorite scarecrow? What is your creative style? Traditional? Ghoulish? 

I hope you will enjoy a few of my favorites – which of these do you prefer?

Classy

Curated from It's Just Dottie

Festive

Curaated from New Jersey News

Industrious

Curated from Pokoroto

Patriotic

Curated from Johnson Brothers Greenhouses

Scary

Curated from allybeag

Silly

Curated from Flickr

Traditional 

Curated from Emma Bond

If you enjoy this website, you might like my magazine, Gardening Life.

Thank you for stopping by to spend time in my garden.  If you liked the article, please take a moment to let me know. I will be delighted if you would suggest Gardens Inspired to your friends, follow me or subscribe to my Blog.

Leave a legacy, but garden like you’ll live forever! 
-Debra

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Wooly Bear Caterpillars – good winter weather predictors?

- by Debra Anchors

Wooly bear caterpillar

According to legend, the wider a wooly bear caterpillar’s middle brown section, the more mild the coming winter will be. A narrow brown band at the center of the wooly bear caterpillar is said to predict a harsh winter. But is it true? One would need to study thousands of wooly bear caterpillars over a number of years to confirm the folklore.

Isabella tiger moth

The true woolly bear caterpillar is the larval form of Pyrrharctia isabella, the Isabella tiger moth.  Frost signals the wooly bear to search for an over-wintering site. Wooly bears crawl around looking for a space to spend the winter –under bark, rocks or logs. Once secure and protected, a wooly bear caterpillar can survive temperatures as low as  -90°F!







The folklore goes like this:  

• The more narrow the middle band (or wider the black end bands) of a wooly bear caterpillar, the more harsh the winter will be. 
• If the black band at the head of the caterpillar is wider than the end, the beginning of winter will be harsher than the end of winter.
• If the black tail band of the caterpillar is wider than the band at the head, then vice-versa; late winter will be harsh.

There is no hard science behind the folklore, but some of us think the wooly bear is much more accurate at predicting a harsh winter than many meteorologists.  But, what do you think? Can woolly bears predict winter weather?

You may enjoy the additional information included in this video from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

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Thank you for stopping by to spend time in my garden.  If you liked the article, please take a moment to let me know. I will be delighted if you would suggest Gardens Inspired to your friends, follow me or subscribe to my Blog.

Leave a legacy, but garden like you’ll live forever! 
-Debra

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Autumn in Michigan USA

- by Debra Anchors

This is the view just 3 miles from my home. It is the beautiful covered bridge, surrounded in the colors of fall, still in use over the slowly meandering river in one of our local parks. Yes, I am blessed this time of year to live in an area that celebrates four very distinct seasons, and autumn is one of our most beautiful. The stunning, changing colors of this season are worth waiting for.

It is cool outside, not yet cold, and the palette of colors painting our trees is gorgeous. I love the sound of the leaves rustling in the breeze. Once they drop from the trees and blanket the ground, we stroll through the brittle leaves now painted in rust, orange, gold and red; we can hear a crunch beneath our shoes. Of course we must rake them up sooner or later, but then the fallen leaves will become beautiful piles for our children to jump into.

The season of autumn is beautiful while it lasts. A rest will arrive soon from the physical labor of the garden.  It is time for fall decorations, sweaters, bon fires and marshmallows, pumpkin carving, and the mums and dahlias in full bloom. I love the fall season and the fragrance of apple cider, cinnamon, and cloves simmering on the stove.

What do you like most about autumn?

If you enjoy this website, you might like my magazine, Gardening Life. 

Thank you for stopping by to spend time in my garden.  If you liked the article, please take a moment to let me know. I will be delighted if you would suggest Gardens Inspired to your friends, follow me or subscribe to my Blog.

Leave a legacy, but garden like you’ll live forever! 
-Debra

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