There's no great way to begin again after a long absence, especially because I didn't tell you I was going anywhere. I didn't think I was going anywhere!

In the autumn seed club letter, which Chris and I just sent out, I wrote that one of the biggest misconceptions I had about remodeling was that I would have more time in the garden.

I figured that I'd be at the house all day supervising subcontractors, on hand for questions, but otherwise free to split time between project planning and gardening. Ha!

My days have looked a lot more like this:

In the 10 years we've lived in the house, the garden has never been more neglected!

Once it became clear that I was going to be a 100% full-time general contractor, gardening went to survival mode. (And this newsletter became impossible.) With the removal of our washing machine, we also lost our greywater system and all watering had to be done by hand. I started only watering fruit trees and young perennials, and only pruning or weeding where absolutely necessary.

Everything else was left to its own devices. And its . . . fine. Most of the plantings are ok, if a little smaller and droopier than they might otherwise be. Some are thriving, against all logic. We've lost a few perennials, but not many.

The biggest change is that I was completely unable to grow vegetables this year. The only ones we had were a few tomatoes that I started before the project back in February, the super easy greens that re-seed themselves (bietola a costa fine chard and dazzling blue lacinato kale), and a pepper, aji cristal, that's turned out to be a hardy perennial that gives fruit even when it doesn't get watered at all!

This is a tiny harvest, yes, but remarkable considering that it's from a 5-year-old plant that got no water at all from June onwards.

I absolutely itch to get back into the garden. The dead husks of spring and summer annuals taunt me. Spectacular weeds call to me, asking for 30 minutes with a shovel. The blackberries assert themselves, thumbing their noses at my inability to keep them under control.

The garden is also full of birds and raking autumn light. Our early rains have refreshed everything, leaving a new rich smell and a gentle greening. In the tiny available scraps of time, I have to ignore the siren song of the weeds, and listen to the beauty that is there.

There is another beauty in the garden that is unsettling. On Halloween, we had spring: The pluot was in full blossom, the magnolia started blooming before its leaves fell, an apple tree had two clusters of flowers along with a ripening crop of late fall fruit.

When I first lived in Chile, I worked in a bar, which is a great job for someone learning a language. (I only needed the words for the items on the menu, plus basic transactions, and I also got a lot of low-stakes conversation practice.)

I was working at the bar on Halloween, which, because Chile is in the Southern Hemisphere, falls at the fullest point of spring, about like May 1st here. It felt so strange to be in a bar full of people in ghoulish costumes when outside felt like like time for a May Pole. I wanted flowers in my hair, not witches and ghosts.

Now, 20 years later, it's blossoms and pumpkins at the same time again, except that it actually is autumn. I've never seen this before. Have you?

I've really missed you these months that I've been building and not writing or gardening. I miss your replies to these emails, and updates about your gardens.

Please hit reply and tell me how you're doing! How is your garden? Are you also having Halloween blossoms? What's thriving?

Happy Seedurday,

Anne

P.S. Chris, who is keeping the wheels on at Orta while I'm remodeling, just told me that we're going to have to raise prices to keep up with increasing costs. We're going to offer some free perks through the second half of November to give you all a last crack at current prices. More details to follow . . .

When you’re ready, here are some more ways I can help you grow a thriving garden from seed:

1. Plan your seed-starting schedule with our ​free printable planner.​

2. Download the free ​Orta Seed Starting Handbook with all the basics you need to succeed with seeds.​

3. Take the guesswork out of watering with Orta Self-Watering Pots. (Find discounted factory seconds here!)

4. Join the Orta Seed Club to have 5 hand-picked, unusual & high-yielding varieties delivered to you every season.

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